


Crimewave

by WitchyTwitchy



Category: Escape the Night (Web Series)
Genre: 10 Years Apart And Mat Angsty, 80s AU, Banter, Crime Scenes, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Gay Character, Los Angeles, M/M, More tags to be added, Multi, Not Beta Read, Old Friends, Post-Time Skip, Slow Burn, Tension, They Left On A Bad Note, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:26:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 60,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24442813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitchyTwitchy/pseuds/WitchyTwitchy
Summary: Detective Matthew Patrick is trying his best to navigate the 80s, after all his friends had left him in Everlock alone. You would think ten years is enough time to heal the wound, but it's reopened all too easily when he migrates to Los Angeles.And Manny's surprised to see him again.[ alternatively : mat and manny struggle to rekindle their bond during a crime wave ]
Relationships: Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, The Detective | Matthew Patrick/The Record Producer | Manny MUA, The Mobster | Timothy DeLaGhetto/The Professor | Matt Haag
Comments: 68
Kudos: 56





	1. Chapter 1

_Life truly is a repetitive process._ Even once you finish the normal schedule that comes with your typical education, you're immediately thrust into adulthood and follow the same pattern. The burden of life had been easier to withstand with companions, but now that Everlock is mostly empty, Detective Matthew Patrick found himself struggling with it alone. 

It's a reality he faces every day. One he faces right now, as he wakes up in his now messy bed sheets; skin riddled with goosebumps after he kicked the blanket off of him sometime last night. Mat shivers, his skin still not used to the typical chill weather after decades of living here, and he is quick to pull himself out of his bed to start the day. His body weighs with his exhaustion, but somehow he manages to stumble to his closet; organized since he really has nothing better to do with his time. 

Feeling nostalgic for whatever reason, he pulls out an outfit he hasn't worn for a while. The smile he gives the oddly colored trenchcoat is strained, maybe because of the memories that cling to this outfit, but he still feels fond of it nonetheless. Matthew begins peeling off his shirt and thin pants, deciding he couldn't be bothered to drag himself into the shower. Last he checked, the plumber still hasn't fixed his hot water- and a cold shower wouldn't do anything to help his aching limbs. Once nude, he's quick to put on his outfit. For a moment he feels as though it's the 70s again, and this thought gets a genuine smile from him. It's strange to realize how long ago that time really was. Being in the 80s isn't like what Mat had imagined at all. 

Probably because he had imagined nothing changing. A hopeless daydream he had back then. Even as a realist, he loved entertaining bizarre ideas and the idea of nothing changing had been a fun one for him. Back then, Mat busied himself with actual detective work. Making time to hang out with friends. Snarking off at rude people who liked the darker corners of Everlock. Clinging onto said friends for dear life because he's never known closeness like that. He was a terrible realist for really thinking his theory of everyone staying with him had been right. 

His friends were gone and so were most of the people he grew up with. But Matthew is fine, _really._ It's an old wound he got over, in a mature manner, ages ago. Ten years had left him plenty of healing time. Now that he's settled in his old clothes, trenchcoat and ugly green pants with his badge, he feels nothing sentimental about it. That's how well he's healed. Now these clothes were just what they always have been; clothes. The past was something Mat left behind willingly, and now he was facing the future with acceptance.

He's fine. Everlock's only detective is fine. 

Even as he lets out a sigh, a sound that fills the silent air with something depressing, he's truly okay. He has good health and he isn't being bullied or anything of the sort. Matthew is still in his safe place, Everlock, and that means he's comfortable, safe, and fine. His eyes clench shut when he accidentally catches his own pained, watering gaze in the mirror - causing him to shake his head turning away from the mirror so he doesn't have to see himself again. Not self loathing, he reasons, Mat just doesn't like his physical features. And he's never been fond of mirrors. That's it. 

Another sigh escapes him too easily as he grabs his keys and exits the barren apartment. The detective tries to keep as active as possible because he doesn't like being home. Today, he has the same game plan of doing paperwork for hours and reading up on old cases to see if he finds anything new. Do that for about twelve hours and head home to pass out. Get up and repeat his process. 

Fresh air relieves his senses, and despite his attitude, everyday he takes a moment at his doorstep to admire Everlock. If he allows himself to admit it, he might not be happy, but he still loves it here in the small town. The excitement he feels every time the carnival shows up never dimmers, always as sharp and as breathtaking as he remembers it. And even without the carnival, the town is still beautiful and mysterious in its own way. Still drawing him in with ease. 

Mat feels himself lighten up as he walks down the path that takes him to the main buildings. Green fog floats about, causing the town to look ghastly; his favorite part being the lights that are now dim, yet still bright at the same time, due to being covered by the fog. The buildings he passes are old and haven't been fixed despite the clear wear in the wood and bricks. 

While his friends might've left him and changed, Everlock hasn't. Matthew is sure it never will. A comforting thought that soothes him greatly. It's early morning so no one is really out yet, but there are some people he notices. Kindly, he waves at them as he walks by- pleased when most recognize him and wave back. Or give a little nod. The only ones who don't give nicities is the rare group of kids or teenages - either because they don't know better, or because they hate him since he carries the law. It's a little silly to smirk at the glares he gets from teens he's busted for multiple things, but their glares prove he's doing something right. 

That's all he yearns to do in life, even as he keeps doing it over and over again. Mat never stops longing to do good, genuine good for the world. Even if his world is as small as Everlock. It reminds him that yes, _yes,_ he's a good person with good intentions. Maybe his reasons for becoming a detective hadn't been pure so long again - his once upon a time _desire_ to clean up messes made by bad or sad people - but said intentions have been purified now. 

Passing Fatman Slims makes his chest tighten each time, yet he keeps his gaze away as he finally makes his way up the stairs to the police station. He noses his way in, not surprised to see his new partner asleep on the job. Mat rolls his eyes as annoyance creeps up on him. Wilmer Jones had left and now he was stuck with this preppy kid fresh out of the academy. To wake the boy, he slams the door shut with something fierce, and chuckles when the person startles in the chair. Matthew pays him no mind as he grabs his things from the file cabinet. 

"Uhm- I wasn't- Ahem-" Officer Townhouse shifts in the chair, embarrassed. "Detective Patrick, good morning."

"Morning." Is his lame response back.

He doesn't offer any nicities, since he knows none will be returned. Not once has this officer offered to get him coffee, even if Mat has done so countless times for him. It makes his cheeks warm up as he recalls how eager he had been to please Officer Townhouse before. The word _partner_ had some sort of weird effect on him when they were first introduced, and he had foolishly done anything the man asked in hopes of a friendship. Of course, it didn't take long to realize he was being used. Which is why he has such cold behavior towards the man. Being used was embarrassing- especially when he was considerably older then Officer Townhouse. 

As he flips through files, he hears the man purposely cough behind him. Mat is many things, but childish games aren't his favorite thing- so he decides to act like an adult and offer conversation. "You need something?"

Officer Townhouse beams, "I don't need anything." He purrs, as if it's supposed to gain some sort of emotion from Mat. It doesn't, since he sees it as a bland statement, and the officer keeps on. "Erm, yes, anyway- Someone called in for you on the phone. Call them back during your shift."

Someone called for him? Excitement and curiousity fill his typical emptiness, and when Mat whirls around on his heel - files pressed to his chest - he's quick to ask questions to a retreating partner. "Who was it? Did they say what they want?"

"You ask too many questions, don't you want some mystery in your boring life?"

"I'm a detective, solving mysteries is what I do." 

"Yeah? Well then do your job and solve this one, see you." 

Mat stares with his mouth agape as the man leaves and slams the door behind him. When the shock settles, he's instead filled with a stronger, most intense annoyance from before. He tries to tell himself to not let it ruin his day, but it's hard not to when the man was just rude to him. What did he ever do to that guy? He bent over backwards in hopes for companionship in return and got nothing back. Mat acts distant and he gets nasty behavior thrown at him as a reward. He concludes that Officer Townhouse just needs to mature more before he makes his way to the desk. 

The files are placed down before he takes a seat in the creaking, wooden chair with a grimace. Immediately, he searches the messy desk for some sort of note. How was he supposed to call someone back without knowing the number? If there was a way to find it on the phone, he wouldn't know it- as the advancements in technology was a bit lost on him. Eventually he finds a small note, and thanks Officer Townhouse for that at least. The moment he looks at the number he _recognizes_ it. Surprise floods into his veins, and Mat is quick to start dialing the number- hoping that his friend hadn't called him for bad news. 

It rings, once, before someone picks up. "Los Angeles Police Department, this is Chief Jason Parker speaking."

Mat can't help the smile that takes over his usually sullen face. "Detective Patrick, at your service."

"The sole detective of Everlock, calling me back? What a surprise! Thought you'd be too busy to chat."

"No, I just work days now. I didn't mean to miss your call! I'm up for talking now though, what's up?" Mat hesitates, before he lets his curiosity get the better of him. "I've heard about the cocaine epidemic going on over there."

The chief laughs. "Crack and gang violence only gets worse, I'm afraid. My officers work hard, but there's only so much you can do."

It's clear Jason isn't happy about the situation. Mat flushes with shame, "Sorry, I know you're doing anything you can."

"I wouldn't mind the extra help, you know? It's bad down here, and we're short on detectives." A pause. "Well, detectives who don't get on my _nerves_ anyway."

A laugh escapes him, and his mood is lifted at the friendly conversation. The rare phone calls he has with Chief Parker makes his day, sometimes even his month. After Officer Jones left for something better with the local salesman, he had missed having someone on his level when it came to crime talk. Nobody else in the town really cared, and his new partner never matched his wit and perception. Meeting Jason had been an accident. It had been a carnival they met at when Jason took a vacation to Everlock for some quiet time, and they hit it off. Mat admired his stories and his position, and was surprised at the respect he got back for being able to keep himself on his feet when Jason engaged him in any sort of conversation. 

The only downside of their friendship was how often the chief pulled things like this. Giving him exciting updates on cases, and then trying to convince him to head out to California for a permanent move. Mat loved Everlock, and has only left it twice in his life for short bursts. Even when his friends left him all alone he stayed. While he has no doubt the detective work in California would be fulfilling, he still feels his stomach drop with the anxiety of busy city streets. Matthew makes it clear everytime that he wants to stay, and he'll always stay, but Jason is stubborn and tests his luck every time. 

He drums his fingers on the edge of his desk. "Any case you need some advice on lately?" Mat knows his topic change isn't subtle at all, but he also knows Jason is too proud to call him out on it. 

"You know me so well. We recently got a case we've been stuck on. There's a suspect list, and some have been brought in for questioning- but we got nothin." 

"That's peculiar. Looks like you got a smart criminal on your hands. Interesting." 

Envy strikes him, but only for a few seconds. Mat never got the thrill of being a detective and chasing the tail of some amazing, great criminal. Realistically, he knows that shouldn't sound fun at all, but it's still fun to want something like it. Knowing himself, this is the closest he'll get to a criminal like the one Jason seemed to be hinting at. The excitement isn't much, but it's something. 

Jason scoffs. "Take a chill pill, Matthew; I know you don't get much action in Everlock, but still have some dignity."

Feeling scolded, Mat looks down at the desk and remains silent. With his lack of response, Jason continues speaking. 

"I'm just psyching you out, be excited, I don't care. As long as you wanna help, it's fine. We're stumped over here, and it doesn't help that the suspect list is full of actors, potential mafia members, and anyone who has big connections."

So he got stuck with a list that was full of suspects that could either tell the real criminal the cops were on their tail, get said suspect killed, or start some sort of potential gang war? Wincing, he lets himself focus on every detail he's given. Treating this as if it was his own case and making sure to ask any questions he had to get extra details. His paperwork and files are long forgotten as he listens to his friend for a whole hour. Finding no humor in the frustration and stress Jason was clearly dealing with. 

What seemed to really bug Jason was the fact the crime wasn't that bad- or, at least it wasn't murder - it was just that it was a pain to figure out the culprit. 

Multiple things from a variety of stores were stolen without so much as a witness. Not only that, but Jason was adamant on this criminal being connected to multiple cases of graffiti that caused more gang wars with it's messages. Mat wasn't expecting petty crimes to cause such a ruckus, and felt a bit nervous at what else this criminal could do if they decided to escalate their methods. 

"And there's been no witnesses? At all?" That was hard to believe. 

"None. Or at least, none that will come forward. We have basically nothing except suspicious behavior or people claiming others as suspicious."

This rubs him the wrong way. It's too opinionated. To him, this renders the suspect list as worthless. He speaks his mind about it too. "You won't get anywhere with opinionated suspects, Chief." His voice is more stern than he wanted, but he didn't like this at all. 

There's a sigh from the other line, "Jason is fine, you don't belong to me. Wish you did though. Might make this hella easier." 

Back to that topic then. Mat flinches, nervous, because he's honored - really! And working with Jason would be a dream. But he's too anxious to go. Even if he knows he could do wonders for the case. "I'll make it easier from here." Is all he can promise. 

"Want the suspect list? See if you got any dirt on anyone?"

The frustration is Jason's voice is evident, which only makes him feel more ashamed even if he knows he doesn't owe the man anything. "Sure. I know my fair share of California celebrities." 

Only the ones involved in scandals, but that was quite a few of them, so he wasn't lying. 

Jason takes a deep breath, and rustles some papers before listing them off. "Suspect list includes Bretman Rock, GloZell Green, Alex Burriss, Sierra Furtado, Manny Gutierrez-"

There's a moment where nothing changes at hearing the first few names. Mat just nods to himself, thinking, and everything's fine. That is until it isn't fine. Like a late chemical reaction, his breath catches in his throat; lodged painfully there as he struggles to not gasp out. His hands grip at the edge of his desk and the name drills into his mind. Recognition probably is painted all over his face, but his friend can't see it thankfully. 

Weirdly enough, his skin tingles at the mention. Goosebumps rising as he struggles to keep his calm. Manny? 

"What?"

Mat startles, realizing he had whispered Manny's name out loud. "Nothing! I didn't say anything!" 

"Don't lie to me. I heard you say Mr. Gutierrez's first name.You got something on him?"

Did he have something? Mat feels dizzy from hearing the name after so many years. His head pounds with his heart continuing to skip beats, and honestly he feels sick. Out of nowhere his stomach twists in what he assumes is nausea. Casting a look down at his hands show him that his hands are shaking, despite his firm grip on the edge of the desk. He pales, considerably so, and is once again happy that Jason can't see him on the other line. 

"Mat?"

"I- I don't-" Mat groans at the way his voice cracks, feeling choked up. The once happy mood he had has been taken over by the hole in his chest; the suffocating lonely feeling he can't shake off. "He used to live in Everlock." 

It takes everything in him to even get that out of his suddenly dry mouth. Mat feels weak, tired, no longer in the mood for conversation. Especially if their topic would be someone who used to be in his friend group. He's not mad, he can't be, it's been so long since he's even seen the record producer! Yet there's still this burning sensation in his veins, the only thing keeping him from laying his head on the desk. 

Irritated. Upset. Confused. Caught off guard. He struggles to label every emotion he's feeling, that's pushing against the numbness, but there's some emotions he doesn't recognize. Or some he _doesn't_ want to remember. Manny was in California, LA? God. Of course he was. He seemed the type to love the attention seeking, stardom city. His jaw clenches, and he shakes his head. 

"He did? Really?" Jason sounds intriguied. "Well, hot damn, I didn't know. Did you know him?"

His first response is to say _no._ It's a word that almost tumbles out of his opening mouth, but he manages to stop the lie. Why he automatically wanted to lie about knowing Manny was beyond him. "He was here in the 70s, for a time."

"Your relationship with him?"

"We were close." 

Or at least, he remembers being close. Matthew had spent most of his time with Rosanna, Teala, and Safiya. Their memories were the clearest for him. He definitely knows he was close to them, but with Manny? He can only guess they were. Mat hadn't been too close to Jc, Joey, Mortimer, or Roi- and he remembers more about Manny then he does about most of the others. Searching his mind, he tries to remember something. But all the memories of the producer seemed to have blended together- and all he can tell is that they've never had a super bad fight. 

They had to be close, he reasons. When Manny stopped sending him letters, it had hurt something fierce. The only reason it would've hurt, is if they had been close. 

Jason whistles, and he hears the creaking of the chief's chair on the other side. "Didn't peg you as the type to chill with guys like Mr. Gutierrez."

"What's that supposed to mean?" His cheeks flame up, and he realizes his voice hardened. 

"Nothing, nothing! That's not the point. Do you have anything on him? Did you ever throw him into your town's little cell?"

Usually, he's nothing but honest. Though there's something about this personal topic that makes him feel conflicted. There's something bitter in him, embarrassingly still hurt about _Manny_ of all people being the first to completely cut ties with him. Then there's the other part of him that wants to tell Jason to back off, because he did cherish his friendship with Manny enough to defend him. 

His foot taps on the ground as he fiddles with what his approach will be. 

"It's been ten years," he says, softly. "He's probably changed since then. None of my information matters."

"So his crimes weren't too bad then, if he did any." Jason concludes smugly, knowing Mat too well. 

"Why is he on the list? How high on the list is he?" 

"Come out here and I'll tell you everything you want to know."

Was Jason bribing him? Mat frowns, and hates the fact he's suddenly more drawn to California then he had been before. Everlock is his home, and he shouldn't be so easily tempted to leave it at the mention of an old friend alone. Is he really that lonely here? Nothing else has convinced him to leave his home - yet this temptation is a bit too much for Mat to try and ignore. He wants to go and see how Manny is, what he looks like now, if he's still as he remembers. And maybe he wants to see if the producer really did the crime. 

( Maybe he really wants to walk right up to Manny and try and show off how well he's been without him or anyone else all these years- )

"Jason." 

"Mat?"

This is his chance to firmly turn him down, again. To force Jason to respect his choice so he can do his job here, in the safety that is the small town. He licks at his dry lips, debating with himself in his own mind. 

Then again, when will he ever have a chance at seeing Manny again? With an excuse at least? He wouldn't look like a desperate loser if he shows up to the producer with a reason slipping off his tongue. There would probably never be another opportunity like this. 

And Everlock would always be here for him to return to. 

Really, Mat can't let go of this. Unknowingly to him, he's already clung to the idea of seeing an old friend again. 

Matthew tries to sound uncaring when he answers, hoping to hide how nervous he feels. "Seems like I'll be showing up to your office this week."

"Seriously? You'll really be here? Mat, don't pull my leg-"

"I'll be there. I need a vacation."

"You'll be working!"

"In another state! That's vacation to me!"

The snort of amusement he hears on the other line relaxes him. "I'll convince you to make this a permanent move, I swear on your stupid scout's honor."

Mat rolls his eyes, pushing his orange tinted sunglasses up his nose. "I'd love to see you try!"

The conversation continues for another hour. They talk about everything they can think of, from the crime to what they ate today. They're trying to keep eachother company for as long as they can stand each other- and it makes Mat feel sappy. Which is something he needed to feel after the whirlwind he felt about ( what he's now deemed as ) the Manny Situation. Jason prys about what he knows and how he felt about the suspect, but he was able to keep everything close to his chest. He would decide what exactly he wanted to tell the chief tomorrow morning. By the time they say their reluctant goodbyes, Mat is thinking of what he's going to say to the Mayor. 

He's lucky Mortimer is Mayor now over his mom. So really, he doesn't have to say much. But Matthew thinks out what he can anyway. 

Finally, he focuses on the files he pulled out, making sure to distract himself before he thought back to Manny again. And for the rest of the night, he works. 

  
  


* * *

Smoothing things over and buttering up Mortimer was a simple feat. The man was eager for him to get out of town and see new sights, even slapped him on his shoulder in a gesture that seemed brotherly. Officer Townhouse had glared at him when he headed in, but Mat couldn't be bothered with his sour attitude. He slaved away that night, thinking of what to pack and looking for a letter Manny had given him years ago to see if the address would help him. The note had been easily found, and he made sure to avoid the contents of the letter completely. 

( His heart couldn't take it ) 

He leaves his apartment the next morning after taking a cold shower, shivering as he makes his way out the door with a suitcase and the letter in his hand. Mat had concluded he wouldn't get to California until it was late, so hopefully Manny liked him enough to let him crash at his place. Pleasantly surprised by the multiple citizens who wished him to have a good trip, he got into his silver car with a small smile on his face. The anxiety in his stomach builds as he turns the car on and when he pulls out of Everlock, but somehow he manages to not puke. The bile is there. Lingering in his throat with his heart, but he's strong. He pulls through the anxiety and is on the road in no time. 

His knuckles turn white from his tight grip on the steering wheel, his face slick from his nervous sweat. He tells himself he's being silly, and tries to leave his anxiety at that. Mat has always been a cautious person- but he's been trying to be better. Leaving Everlock might do him some good and help shove him out of this depressive slump he's been in. He hears the weather is nice up there, and the busy nature of the state could make the loneliness go away for a while. It would be overwhelming, surely, but if Mat can face mutilated corpses- he can face streets full of people. Right? 

Brown eyes glance into the rearview mirror, and he swallows thickly. _Right_ , he answers himself. 

The drive is long and troubling on him. The amount of times he shifts in his seat probably make him seem like a person under the influence. Mat keeps to his strict schedule and doesn't get out for unnecessary stops; though his legs twitch and he can't stop wiggling. Being stuck in his car for hours is unfamiliar to him, and not being able to walk about makes him irritated and bored. 

Obviously, it doesn't take long for the silence of the boring, long ride to make his mind drift to someone. Manny. 

Thinking about the record producer at all is nerve wrecking, though he lets it slide since he'll be face to face with him soon enough. What did he know about Manny? Well, he knew he was a generally nice person. That the man had good intentions. Bailed Nikita, Roi, and Colleen out of their little jail whenever they called for him. His appearance was seared into his mind too; black hair, green eyes, usually wearing makeup. There's a lot he remembers, actually, now that he really thinks about it. Manny was a sweetheart, but there were times where he could be just as vile as Nikita- even moreso. 

There's the sleazy attitude he recalls well too, with a silence wince. Manny was, or used to be, boy crazy. 

Despite all he remembers of the individual, he can't remember much of their relationship. There were times where he recalls Manny stopping by the station and bringing him coffee, so that's nice. Other times where he recalls being teased by him, which is less nice. Manny went to their friend gatherings and was always welcoming to Mat and very, _very_ touchy and that was all he can remember about their relationship. He can only hope that they were closer than he remembers. Or else he seriously overreacted for months after Manny left his life completely. 

Breathing in deeply, he tries to recall that particular moment in his life. His friend group started to split when the year 1977 rolled around. Mat had watched from the sidelines as everyone he loved got bored of his home, and started to pack up their belongings and leave. He can't recall the order they left in, but he can only guess that Manny was one of the first to go. Soon it was just him in the town, with his golden light being in the form of the promises he was left. His friends would visit him yearly. They would write. They would be there still, and they wouldn't leave him. 

Until that's exactly what happened. He doesn't get any letters anymore. The visits stopped after three years. 

Maybe the reason he feels so conflicted about Manny was because he was the first. The first to stop visiting and to stop sending letters. The producer went to one visit, the first year apart, and then stopped- fucking _Nikita_ was around longer then him. 

At a red stoplight, he closes his eyes shut and gulps down air in quick breaths. For a moment he had seen red and his hands now ache from his grip on the wheel. His heart feels right in his chest and he knows he has to calm down. It's over. It's over and he's going to show Manny that he's fine without his presence and his stupid letters. 

The only letter he got was after Manny stopped visiting, and it's the one in the passenger seat beside him. Why wasn't he important enough to stick around for? Why did someone who hated his guts stay around longer than someone he thought liked him? Manny never hated him! Unless he was very good at hiding it, at least. 

Recalling all this wasn't helping him get over it. And the last thing he wants is to show up at his old friend's place and be so angry and hurt that he ends up being passive aggressive. So he places his pain and the object of his conflict on the back burner, instead reaching out and turning up the radio so the silence is filled along with his mind. 

Video Killed The Radio Star plays on the radio, and Mat blasts it in his car recklessly. The loud volume makes his head ache, but dulls the ache in his heart, and he prefers it that way. As another hour ticks by, jam packed with songs bursting from his radio, his posture relaxes and he now decides that his _stirring_ is really just _car dancing._

It seems cooler than just admitting he can't stay still, so he rolls with it. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


5:00 am leaks into 11:34 pm by the time he sees the Welcome to California sign. And it takes another hour of navigating around the state to find LA. He's exhausted and jittery, running on the thrill that he's so far from home. It's anxiety inducing but he's excited at the new possibilities. There's no way Chief Parker would be at his desk this late, and morning meetings were more his thing then late night ones-

Besides, he needs to rest. Stretch his limbs and sprawl out on something. Here's to hoping that Manny has the same address, and is willing to lend him a hand. 

That's the other factor keeping him awake. His feelings, though dimmed to sleep deprivation, are now racing around his chest. There's butterflies and bees in his stomach as he drives down streets, eyes squinting through bright, city lights as he tries to find the address on the letter. It's surprising to see people still skittering around, but the city is busy, so he doesn't get suspicious yet. 

Somehow through the clumped city, his eyes fall upon a house. There's no gate, which makes him let out a sigh of relief- and what would you know? The address matches the one on the letter. Maybe God was on his side after all? Mat would've chickened out of visiting Manny at this moment if his house had a gate, mainly because he didn't want to talk to the man through the speaker and get turned away like that. A weird thing he was nervous about, but he couldn't help it. After overcoming a huge fear today, he let himself have this one. 

There was something refreshing about recognizing the hippie van in Manny's driveway. He smiles, pulling up and staring at the vehicle and yes, this is the producer's place, because he knows that van fondly. Jc used to live in it when Manny was in Everlock. He can't believe the other man still has it. The detective thought he would've had an expensive car by now to show off. Then again, Manny never showed off unless it was in subtle ways - like with his golden rings and necklace and makeup. So keeping his broken down van was like him, now that he really thought about it. 

Minutes tick by and soon it's almost one in the morning, and he can't stop stalling. Mat glances from the van to the house and dreads getting up to knock. What if Manny's asleep and he wakes him? What if the producer turns him away? 

Quickly he whips up solutions. He'll knock once or twice and leave to sleep in his car, so he doesn't wake Manny up. If the other turns him away, he won't cry; at least, not until he's sleeping in his car. That's all there is to it. He came all the way out here to see Manny and sleep in his place and that's what he's gonna do. 

Turning on the lights in his car, he decides to fix up before showing up at the door. Matthew licks the palm of his hand and tries to put his hair back in place, since his gel has mostly worn off. Shakily he adjusts his orange sunglasses and tie, and yes- maybe he wore the same outfit from yesterday, but he knows Manny would recognize him in it. It's so silly to try and look handsome and put together because he doubts Manny will care, though he can't shake the desire to seem well off. Once his appearance is as acceptable as it will be - he knows his old friend will be more attractive, he's always been- Mat turns his car off and gets out. 

The walk to the doorstep is terrifying. Every step makes him think he's going to collapse due to how bad his legs are shaking. His reassurances from before don't help him. Thankfully his determined nature helps him to the steps, and once he's face to face with the door, his knees buckle. It takes everything not to fall to his knees, or try to run to his car. 

Taking a deep breath, he hypes himself up to knock. The fateful knock that will seal their relationship. The detective tilts his chin up to look braver than he feels, and once he wills himself to knock, he goes for it. His knuckles tap the wood for a split second before he yanks his hand back, as if burned. The startled gasp that escapes him, as if realizing what he just did, showing how scared he is and Mat hates himself. It's just a knock. Why was he so scared?

The door opens far too quickly, and oh, _that's_ why he's so scared. His heart leaps into his throat, choking him as Manny Gutierrez - _his_ Manny - stands in the doorway. Mat eagerly takes him in, noticing every little thing that he can catch in the light that comes from the house. 

Then there's silence. Manny just stares, and since his face isn't illuminated by the light coming from behind him, and the porch lights aren't on, he can't tell what he feels. Matthew can't breathe, suddenly feeling like he's in Everlock again. But a very twisted, uncomfortable Everlock. His hand clutches at his trenchcoat due to nerves, and he waits. And waits. He couldn't say anything if he wanted to. 

When Manny speaks, his voice croaks with sleep or emotion, he isn't sure. "Matty?" He sounds so confused, so bewildered, and Mat breathes in finally. 

"I've always told you to call me Matthew." He whispers back, cautious. 

Another long moment of silence settles between them, the air tense. 

They seem to have a long reunion ahead of them. 


	2. Chapter 2

After some gentle words and a great amount of hesitance, Manny steps aside and let's Matthew step into his humble abode. Not much is said between them as he hears the door get shut gently behind him, and he focuses on looking around. The place is expensive; but barren of personality. He gets it, since his apartment looks the same. There's a lavish, white couch and a sleek, black coffee table and a white rug. Not much in the living room, but there's a tv and the kitchen is to the left. 

A startled grunt escapes him when the bright lights flick on, and he squints as his eyes adjust. The sunglasses don't help much. 

"You could've warned a guy." He sighs, walking further into the home.

"Ah, yeah, sorry."

Mat stays in the living room, walking about and looking at lamps and clocks. There aren't any pictures; he wasn't looking for one of their old friend group, that would be pathetic- but it's striking that the place is relatively boring. Manny's old place was full of interesting things, but maybe the producer just kept all his personal items in his bedroom? His cheeks flush as he realizes he's being extremely judgemental for no reason. What's wrong with him?

Manny let's him look about, and when he gains the courage to look at the man, he's watching Mat with an unreadable expression. The detective coughs and looks away when they catch eyes, his heart fluttering. He knows he should say something but he's so scared to ruin this by saying something stupid or lame. If anything, Manny should talk first. Ask him a question. Do something then just watch him. 

Pacing around, he keeps taking in the home. By now he's taken his badge off his belt and has begun to fiddle with it in his hands thanks to his anxiety. This isn't what he expected to happen. He thought Manny would've been less...quiet. 

His patience thins as he looks and sees his old friend shuffling in place by the door, and he can't help but say something first. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

Well, that wasn't what he wanted to say at all. His tongue feels heavy in his mouth after he mumurs the question. For someone who loves to overthink things, he still sucks at social interaction when he's hurting and scared. 

It was the right thing to say, seeing as Manny's eyes go wide, revealing his nervousness, putting Mat at ease. "Of course I am! I'm just- I don't know what you want me to say." Then, more quietly, "It's weird to see you here."

Flinching, he turns his back to the man. "Good to see you too, after ten years." 

Reunions weren't like this. Or maybe he had theorized too much about how the reunion would be. Seeing Manny as this awkward person wasn't what he remembers the man being. The record producer had been confident, chatty! Surely the other was still like that. Which meant that his presence was so unwelcomed that Manny shut down. 

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Manny gently asks, moving away from the door but still keeping distance. 

The truth almost comes out, until he realizes that Chief Parker wouldn't be too happy with him for telling that to a suspect. As much as he had wanted to use it for an excuse, he now realizes he can't, and flounders about for one. He decides to go with a lie and a truth. "I'm looking to move. The police department wanted me to solve something, so it all worked out."

"Still a workaholic then." Manny smiles, relaxing. "California's a good state. And LA is packed with criminal activity, so you'll have your hands full."

"That's good."

The small talk makes him uncomfortable, and he finally grows bored of looking around. Mat stops pacing and glances at the couch, wondering if he was allowed to sit. Or if Manny wanted him to go already. The producer seems to be very keen on staring into his kitchen then to look at him, so he lets out a small cough and watches as his old friend connects the pieces. Manny can't hide the blush on his cheeks and Mat relaxes at realizing his embarrassment. Once he's given the greenlight, the detective takes a slow seat down. It's a firm couch, and it's clear that Manny doesn't sit here often. 

"So- you're really looking to move? The great Everlock detective?"

"I am." 

"Looking to move? Or that you're the great Everlock detective?"

Mat huffs a weird laugh. "Both."

It doesn't make sense, whatever Manny said, but it doesn't matter. The lame joke and his laugh seems to help cool the atmosphere. His stomach is still in knots with his worry but at least his irritation - stimming from his hurt - has toned down. He notices that Manny doesn't make a move to sit with him, and the hurt builds up all too easily again. His sensitivity levels seemed to be higher around him. Probably due to their tender past that Mat hates to poke at. 

He tries to reassure himself that the situation is just weird. Ten years pass and he shows up out of nowhere. If Manny had done that to him, he would've been shocked too. 

"Ten years, huh?" 

"Ten years." Mat affirms. 

Was the man not going to question him at all? Mat keeps messing with his badge in his lap as he waits for something more then small talk, yet Manny seems fine with it. The producer was either purposely holding back his questions, or couldn't think of how to ask them. 

"How have you been?"

Mat grips his badge in his hand, annoyed. He hates small talk and he doesn _ 't want _ to talk about how he's been. The urge to show off has faded, and he really has nothing much to offer. "Same old, same old." Is the truth so he says that, even if it makes him feel stupid. Nothing has changed for him. 

His short answer makes Manny clench his jaw, "That's good." 

"And you?"

"I'm busier." Manny's response is just as short as his. 

The conversation comes to another temporary stop at that. He kicks his legs idly, and Manny - rather kindly - asks him if he wants some coffee. Really he should decline, since it's almost two in the morning, but he's always had a soft spot for coffee. Mat gives him a strained smile, agreeing to a cup, and he watches the man sluggishly head into his kitchen. The light turns on and he sighs, looking at his badge as he waits. There's been no tears, no declarations of missing each other- this reunion has been a total failure. His heart feels like it's broken and he isn't sure how he's supposed to fix it. 

Some part of him naively wanted things to pick off where they left off. Like time never touched them or their relationship. He was the worst realist ever. He can't even begin to think of how much they've both changed, even if he thinks he hasn't changed much. Manny still held this air of familiarity, while also seeming like a complete stranger at the same time. A complete paradox that he was forced to stare at. Except he didn't want to figure out this puzzle, he just wanted things to be the same as they were - or for them to not be around each other at all. This was too personal for him to handle, and his breathing quickens as he forces himself to remember that he's stuck here until the case is over. 

He's pretty sure Manny takes longer then he needs to in his kitchen, and the idea of being avoided burns something hot inside him. The man has avoided him for ten years, did he really need more space away from him? Nonetheless, the producer walks back into the living room with a steaming cup, wincing as it likely burns his fingers before he gently places it on the table. Mat doesn't reach for it considering the way his old friend blows on his fingers. It hits him that Manny didn't ask how he wanted it, and he peers into the cup suspiciously. 

"It's hazelnut! With some sugar in it!" Manny informs happily, but at Mat's raised eyebrow he hesitates. "That was- it was your order before-"

"My order from years ago?"

Manny's gaze hardens, defensively so. "If you don't like it, I can make you a new cup."

Matthew knows he's being too hard on him, but no matter how hard he tries he can't stop sounding so mean. He looks down at the cup again and stares longingly at the soft color of the coffee. While hazelnut wasn't his favorite anymore, it was still tasty. If anything, there's something about the fact Manny still remembers his old order at all. Focusing on that aspect, he lightens up for a moment. 

"I was just surprised you remembered my order from before. I actually prefer vanilla, but hazelnut is still good too."

There. He sounds like a reasonable adult with those words. Not like a childish brat. To show good manners he even takes the risk of picking up the cup and taking a quick sip. It burns his lip and tongue, yet he manages to taste the coffee still. The familiar taste reminds him of this whole strange situation, but it's tasty still- and he puts the cup down and sends a smile to Manny. It's strained, and he knows the small one he's given back is forced too. So he doesn't feel too terrible about it. 

Despite the fact this is his house, Manny stubbornly remains standing up. Mat can't take watching him shuffle any longer, and swallows his pride and comfort to pat at the seat beside him. Green eyes regard his gesture with confusion, which causes him to sigh as he struggles to keep his patience. It takes another pat for Manny to realize what he was asking, and he takes a step closer to the couch, glancing at Mat as if asking if he really wanted him to sit there. 

He didn't. Not really. But he can't watch someone else anxiously shift about either. So he rolls his eyes and pats the space again. Manny sits down, but it isn't beside him. 

Now both of them accompany both sides of the couch, the space between them vast. Manny sends him a curious look before glancing away like usual, and Mat notices the bags under his eyes from their closeness. They were weird to see considering Manny never had them before, and what's weirder is seeing him without his makeup on. Idly, he lets himself think that the man still held natural beauty, and didn't look bad without the makeup at all. 

His beard is a bit more prominent and scruffy looking, and Mat takes in the fact his raven hair is longer. Instead of swooping up, it's swooped to the side. 

Manny glances his way again, catching his stare. The producer's pale skin flushes a rose pink and he looks away again, this time Mat follows that lead and takes another drink of his coffee. 

"It's still so weird to see you here. In my home."

His eyes trail back over at his old friend when he hears the hushed words, unwillingly so. 

The producer looks at him and manages to hold his gaze. "It doesn't help that it's two in the morning. I'm pretty sure I'm dreaming, so I'm sorry if I seem off." He chuckles. 

"It does seem dreamy, huh?" Mat's lips quirk into a small smirk. "Sorry I stopped by so late, anyway. I was supposed to be here earlier- but your address was hard to find."

"You're new to LA, of course my place is hard to find. How did you get my address, by the way? Did you use your detective skills?"

As long as he stopped bringing up the past, it seems like they'll be fine. So when he has to mention the letter, his heart rate speeds up and he shivers. "That would've been fun, but no. I found an old letter you sent me that had the address on it..."

"Oh."

The mention of the letter seems to make Manny uncomfortable. And Mat curses at himself for bringing it up. He should've lied, but he didn't have a good excuse. The silence comes back and all the tension that left comes back with ease. It's almost frustrating that they have to both fight to just feel at ease with each other, but it comes with having a past together, he guesses. 

Though maybe bringing up the letter was a good idea? Mat can't help the hope that clings to his chest when the silence stretches on, and he feels oddly eager to hear what Manny has to say about it. 

After all, there had to be a reason for his abandonment. Manny wouldn't leave him for no reason. He was too much of a sweetheart for it. There had to be a  _ reason  _ for it, because they were friends. At least back then they were. Now? He wasn't so sure. Mat did plan on solving the case, and he also planned on trying again with Manny- but if the man was the criminal, he wouldn't hesitate to put him in jail for his crimes. So the ground was rocky because Matthew didn't know where they stood. 

There's a sigh, and Mat's breath hitches. Manny takes a moment before speaking, "It's late, do you want me to find you a hotel that's open?"

The curtness and dismissal throw him off guard. His body moves on its own; eyes widening as he turns to look at Manny. Who is now curled up in a ball on the couch, clutching his knees to his chest as he seems fixated on the blank television screen. He probably looks ridiculous, with his jaw slack and with his sunglasses still on. But he can't help it. Hurt rises in him again and so does the pit in his chest that never seems to go away; and red flashes behind his eyes as he shuts his mouth and turns away sharply. Mat bites his cheek, almost sadistically hoping he would make himself bleed; just so he could focus on an injury rather than on the fact Manny  _ really  _ doesn't care about him. 

"Actually," Mat bites out. "I was hoping I could stay here."

On any other occasion, the flush on his cheeks would've been out of his shy nature. This time around? It was out of anger, and the fact his blood wouldn't stop boiling. 

"Wait, really? You want to stay with me? I thought-"

"Why else would I come here in the middle of the night? I could've found a hotel myself." 

The man probably doesn't think he hears it, but he definitely does hear Manny growl in frustration. It makes the anger fade and the guilt washes over him instead: and it feels like cold water was splashed on his face. Again, he tries to fix his attitude, "Sorry. I didn't mean for that to sound rude. I'm just tired." He couldn't even own up to his mistake, and instead threw out a flimsy excuse. What was going on with him?

Manny shrugs. "It's fine."

"So, uh, can I stay here?"

A pause, and then- "You can sleep on the couch."

Where else would he have slept? He definitely wasn't expecting Manny to give up his own bed! Mat refrains from rolling his eyes - just in case he's caught doing so - and just settles with saying a small, meek "Thanks."

With that out of the way, he wills himself to relax against the couch he'll be sleeping on for- Oh! He never asked Manny how long he could stay! Mat freezes again, not wanting to continue any sort of conversation with Manny, but he doesn't want to randomly get kicked out tomorrow morning either. 

"How long can I stay here? I'm not sure when I'll find someplace and I don't want you to kick me out on whim…" 

The producer shuffles on the couch, and when he looks at Manny curiously- he's surprised to see him uncurling himself and turning his way. Their eyes meet, brown and green, and Mat's breath  _ catches.  _ Something flashes in those green eyes staring into his own, though he isn't sure what exactly that emotion is. It seemed like hurt, though it's gone too soon to be sure as Manny closes them and sighs. If he had been hurt, Matthew couldn't help but wonder what the producer was hurting from. He hasn't said anything too bad all night, has he? 

"Matty-" Manny looks panicked at saying the nickname, correcting himself, "M-Mat, I mean. Listen, I.."

Then something crazy happens. Or something that was crazy for the detective at least. Manny reaches a hand out. Manny reaches out to  _ him  _ in a physical sense. Everything seems to slow for Mat, as his eyebrows raise in alarm as he watches the hand move closer to his shoulder. The producer is leaning forward now so that the touch is actually possible, and something about the closeness and the idea of being touched makes his heart race. It's almost painful; as if his heart is knocking on his chest, and Mat swallows. He doesn't make a move to stop it, because he's so curious about the fact Manny was about to touch his shoulder. 

Do touches still feel the same after years? Mat isn't sure but he  _ needs  _ to find out. His heart is now slamming into his throat. 

Out of nowhere, the hand stops mid air. A wail almost escapes him, but luckily gets clogged in his tight throat. A wave of emotions hit him as he realizes Manny  _ isn't  _ going to touch him. He watches the man's muscles tense and the troubled look on his pretty face. It spells game over, and Mat can't believe he feels so distressed over not being touched by his old friend. Surely it's not because he's touch starved; the reason was probably because this showed the distance between them again. Manny was an affectionate, touchy person. Key word on was. At least with him he had been. 

The hand is slowly brought back to Manny's side. Mat struggles to get his heart under control as he tries to tell himself that, hey, just because Manny didn't touch him doesn't mean their friendship isn't saveable. 

But Manny was always affectionate with people he loved. So what does that mean for him? 

"Matthew, you can stay as long as you want. I wouldn't kick you out. I can pay my bills fine and I'm not home often anyway." Manny mumbles, playing with his night shift. "Stay as long as you need." 

What is he supposed to say to that? Mat quickly takes a drink of the hot coffee to warm his throat, so that his voice isn't strained when it comes out. "That means a lot, thank you."

"Anything for an old friend!" 

Mat winces, and he swears Manny does at the phrasing too. And there isn't anything more they need to say, so they both go quiet. He keeps drinking his hazelnut coffee and his old friend does whatever he's doing. In no time at all the producer is pushing himself off the couch. He starts off towards the back of the house and the detective tries to take the urge to try and stop him from leaving. It wouldn't do them good to just sit in silence, so he lets him go. Not at all expecting Manny to come back. The fact he's so willing to accept that he's being left saddens him greatly, but what can he do?

So when Manny comes striding back into the living room, Mat's pleasantly surprised. He hadn't left without saying goodbye, which was a first. In his arms is a green blanket and a pillow, and when he realizes it's for him- well, he can't help but feel even more surprised. He thought he would just sleep on the couch and that was that. Sure, maybe pillow and blankets were a common nicity when it comes to sleeping over, but he really wasn't expecting them. Mat doesn't reach out to help as Manny brings them over and places them on the couch beside him. The approximately between them, even though brief, makes him shiver with the same eagerness from before. 

"You can also mess with the temperature!" Manny points at a little thermostat that's near the entrance of the kitchen. "The living room usually gets chilly because I keep the air on so high, so feel free to make it warmer by turning the heat on or whatever."

Mat isn't sure he can stop how surprised he is by the power he was just given. "B-but you'll toast up in your room then!"

"I'll just sleep without covers. It's no big deal." Manny shrugs one shoulder. 

The selfless act makes him narrow his eyes as he becomes suspicious. Though he doesn't question it further, deciding to take what he's given without making Manny more angry with him. He still wanted to try to salvage their relationship after all. So relenting is all he can do to not mess things up further. Besides, the act of kindness feels nice. Especially from Manny. Mat blames that feeling on their past. He makes quick work of putting the pillow where he is and fluffing it, noticing how soft it looks. Then he grabs at the blanket, noticing the green color. It seems familiar, oddly so, and once it hits him he can't help but whisper out a name. If Manny hears him, he doesn't comment, but Mat knows what the blanket is. 

It seems to be the one thing Manny brought from Everlock from what Mat has seen. Every time he visited the Record Studio the blanket would be around Manny's shoulders as he worked. Their mutual friend, Joey, had got it for the producer for Christmas one year. Really, it was nothing special. Just some blanket their friend bought. Yet Manny loved it to death. 

He wasn't one to judge though. After Jc won him a stuffed, pink horse; he not only kept it, but cuddled with it at night. Still had it on his bed actually. As weird as it is. 

Mat shakes himself out of the past, and addresses Manny. "You didn't have to, but thanks."

"I know you've never moved before, so if you need me, I'm here. Like, to search for houses and stuff with you."

When he looks up, it's nice to see Manny looking away again. He seems almost shy as well, which is a relief. 

"I'll let you know. Thanks again, Manny." 

Manny nods, then starts to step away to - presumably - go to his bedroom. The detective takes the hint and starts to take off his trenchcoat so he can sleep somewhat comfortably. Not expecting a goodbye, he immediately starts to get ready for bed as much as he can. Then he hears, "Sweet dreams, Mat. See you tomorrow morning." And he stops midway from taking his belt with his badge off, which he had clipped on earlier after playing with it. 

"...Goodnight."

The lights flicker off and he listens to Manny's footsteps disappear down the hallway. There's the faint click of a door closing and then nothing can be heard except his own breathing. His shoulders slump, exhaustion hitting him hard the moment he's alone. Not just physical exhaustion, but mental too. All that interaction took a lot out of him. The tension zapping all his energy away. Nonetheless, he places his belt on the table near his empty cup, and drapes his trenchcoat over the couch. Mat doesn't dare to take off his shirt or pants, so he promptly lays down on the couch. Head hitting the pillow with a soft  _ thump  _ before he grabs at the blanket. 

There isn't any need to mess with the thermostat tonight. He wouldn't want to test his luck so early. Instead he just pulls the blanket up his body, letting it rest at his chin as he rolls about. First on his right side, then his left, and then he settles on laying on his back. Despite how tired he is, he's restless. Minutes tick by, then hours. Mat can only stare at the ceiling of his unfamiliar environment helplessly. A victim to his own situation. He toys with the idea that he would've slept better on the floor in Manny's bedroom, but quickly shoves the thought away with disgust ( aimed at himself of course )

Thoughts pour into his brain as he lays there. The situation has warranted for his brain for overwork itself and he can't even stop it. He thinks about the case, how far away he is from home, and he definitely thinks about Manny. Who he would wake up to tomorrow morning. It seemed like a dream; so maybe Manny had been right on that aspect. Mat squeezes his eyes shut and groans, feeling the urge to get up and pace about. He withholds with his remaining self control somehow. But that doesn't stop him from thinking. For the longest time, Mat stares at the ceiling. Thinking. 

He isn't sure how, or when, but when sunlight starts to flutter into the room through the blinds….Mat finally drifts off to sleep. 

His dream consists of carnivals, screeching laughter, and a group of ten. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update is late! This is for the peeps on Tumblr ;>  
> Enjoy !!

Oddly enough, the first thing he regains feeling in is his skin. Mat feels warmth all over, and something seems to press against his eyes. The first thing he thinks is that he isn't in Everlock at all. A thought that almost drives him to stop breathing until he shifts and feels the firm couch against his side. Everything floods back to him when he realizes this is Manny's couch. Once he comes to that conclusion, it doesn't take long for him to get uncomfortable just laying here. His eyes flutter open and he realizes the warmth he felt on his skin was from the raw sun beaming onto him from the now open windows. 

As he moves to sit up, he misses Manny - from where he leaned against the kitchen counter - glancing at him. When he finally looks around to the producer and sees him, he can only feel ugly from how well put together Manny is already. His hair is like it had been in the 70s, fluffed up, and Mat can see the makeup marking his face. Nervously, he reaches a hand up to touch at his own hair, feeling embarrassed when he finds it sticking up at odd ends. 

"Nice bedhead you got there," Manny teases, finally meeting his gaze. 

"Not all of us can wake up perfect."

It's...odd to hear his old friend chuckle after just waking up. The dreamy feel he kept getting hasn't drifted away even after sleep. If anything, the morning sun just makes Manny seem more like something plucked from a dream. Everything seems fuzzy with golden edges being blurred thanks to the sun, and Mat's surprised how calm he feels. Mornings always were his favorite thing in the world. 

Manny knocks on the counter, shaking the detective out of his haze. "I have some hair gel in the bathroom, go use it."

The command makes his heart race, oddly so. "You can't boss me around, last I checked, I'm the law enforcement here."

"My house, my rules." 

Well, he couldn't come up with an argument with that. All that he can sputter out is, "That's not fair." But Manny has already stopped paying attention to him by the time he gets it out. Instead, he seems to be writing something as he leans against the counter. 

Any hopes of a soft morning fade the moment he's ignored so easily. Mat feels the familiar ugly hate churn in his gut, and swallows thickly as he stands quickly. He practically rips his trenchcoat off the couch and tugs at his belt from the table, leaving the living room as fast as his legs can carry him. Honestly, he isn't sure where the bathroom is, but he's too prideful to ask Manny for help. All he's doing is trying to get away and start his day in peace. 

Luckily, the door to the bathroom is the first room on the left down the hallway. And he spots the tub with a sigh of relief before he shuffles in and kicks it shut behind him. 

He makes quick use of the restroom and slips on his coat and belt again. Mat sniffs at his armpits and scolds himself briefly for not bringing deodorant, or more clothes for the matter. Slyly he paws at the wallet in his back wallet and concludes he'll shop for some clothes later. In his hurry to leave his town he had only spent hours packing crime files, people notes, tape recorders, and such things. Clothes had escaped him completely. For such a smart guy, this whole situation has really made a fool of him. 

The rest of his time in the bathroom flies by. Cold water gets splashed on his face to wake him up, and he grabs the hair gel near the sink to use. Taking a generous amount in his palm; he spends the next ten minutes fixing his hair with only the gel in his palms. In all honesty, he hasn't used gel in a long time. After a while it became such a problem to do and keep fixing, so he would just comb his hair instead. Gel was more of something he did when Everlock was still bustling with the life he cared about - and it hits that _of course_ Manny would think he still uses it. Just like he thought he still liked hazelnut coffee. 

It almost makes him want to wash the gel out suddenly. In the mirror he looks younger just from the hairstyle alone now, and he doesn't think Manny deserves to see the past Mat he's familiar with. 

Bitterness isn't an emotion that seems willing to leave him be. Everytime something happens that he doesn't like, it grows. Almost like bile in his throat. Such a negative reaction is one he never felt for Manny before. Even if he thinks the producer deserves such nasty feelings shoved at him, he swallows them down with a gulp of water from the sink. The feeling made him feel ugly and unjust, and that's enough for him to fight to keep it at bay. There's a moment where he takes some time for himself, selfishly. Just breathing in his own space as his eyes squeeze shut, trying to erase the way Manny had looked in the sunlight. The fact Manny was the first person he saw today. It's a weird feeling he shakes off somehow, though the image lingers behind his mind like a shadow. 

Re-entering the living room greets him with Manny again. His lip quirks into a barely noticeable frown as he watches the man pat at the counter, offering the detective to stand beside him. Mat easily stands across from him, letting the marble counter seperate them. And taking some glee in the disappointed flicker that crosses familiar green eyes. 

Manny huffs, still faking a smile his way. "Looking better already."

"Mm. Am I?"

"Better than looking like a zombie." 

Taking slight offense to that, he rests his head on his arms that are folded on top of the counter. Pulling off a pout that makes Manny smirk. When that doesn't work to sway his old friend to change the topic, he gains courage to change it himself. 

"Is it still early enough to have breakfast? Or is it brunch by now?" It's nice to hear his own voice coming off as light, rather than the firm tone Manny dealt with last night. 

His old friend seems to debate this with himself, before winking. "I'll say it's breakfast time. Why? You hungry?" 

"Of course I'm hungry. I just woke up. What do you have in your kitchen? I can cook it for-"

"Oh, no, no, no! No cooking!" Manny's pursed lips pull into a smile. "We can just eat at my favorite diner. It's not a far walk from here, c'mon-"

Mat feels his lips curl into a deeper frown without even trying. He was trying to see less of L.A as possible. While he gets Manny's laziness, he truly would rather make them breakfast then go out into crowded streets. "No, really. I have no problem cooking for us! It's fine, I know my way around the kitchen."

As he slides off the counter and makes his way to the fridge, he hears Manny groan behind him. Opening the fridge, he pokes his head in, expecting to find something to make them breakfast with. What he sees makes him jerk his head back, his hands reaching up to cover his nose. He hops around, gagging, before he kicks the fridge door shut. Stumbling towards Manny, who is muffling snickers behind his hands. All his fridge contained was rotting eggs and takeout, there weren't even water bottles in there! Between his gagging, he manages to get out some curses, that happens to make the producer laugh harder. His ears burn and he whirls around, snapping. 

"How is this amusing to you? Your fridge smells worse than a dead corpse, Manny!"

Manny chokes on another chuckle, green eyes sparkling with amusement. "I'm never home, dweeb. Of course it's empty."

"I'm not-" Mat sighs, "I'm not a dweeb. And it isn't empty, it has rotting food in it that needs to be cleaned out."

"You're a total dweeb. I have so many words to call you actually. Dweeb. Nerd. Geek. Smartass. Lawman-" 

"Whatever. Shut up." And just because he wants to be picky, he glares at Manny. "And stop covering your mouth with your hands, I can barely hear you."

"-bossy is a good one too, apparently." Despite his words, Manny does remove his hands from his mouth, looking smug. 

Sadly, Matthew has to twist his lips into a straight line to withhold a smile that was trying to bloom on a face. At this very moment, there isn't anything wrong. He's just Matthew and Manny's just Manny. There isn't any tense past and any of the hard to stomach feelings slowly disappear as he loses himself in this moment. It seems like they haven't spent any time apart, and Manny doesn't look so worn. He almost doesn't feel like he's in the kitchen at all, but back in Everlock with shining, bright lights glaring down on them. While their friends skate and dance and drink. It's nice. Mat likes the new feeling in his chest, one that tightens his heart with affection and fondness rather than hurt and anger. 

When Manny pushes past him, he expects them to brush shoulders, a typical move from the producer, really. Anytime they had passed each other in Everlock, he had made sure to slam his shoulder into Mat's and then wink at him as he walked away. He expects the same thing now, smiling, but is disappointed when Manny seems to avoid brushing by him entirely. It causes him to turn around, shocked and a little hurt, but Manny doesn't seem to realize that he didn't touch Mat. 

It's a weird thing to be mad about, he thinks. The record producer doesn't have to touch him. Mat hadn't cared in the past. The hurt only seems to blossom even though he tries to remain cool. 

"C'mon, Matthew! You can clean out my fridge later! Let's show you some Los Angeles weather, hm?" Manny opens the front door, looking sly as he wiggles his eyebrows at Mat. 

"Do I need any sunscreen?"

"No, honey." There's something mischievous in his old friend's voice, that means trouble. 

Naively, Matthew takes Manny's word for it. Sighing as he clings to the warmth in his stomach when he makes his way outside. 

  
  


* * *

Manny is a complete _liar_ and Mat wants to punch him in the shoulder. He would think about punching his face in, if he didn't like looking at it so much. 

Stepping out of the semi warm house and walking through the city in the California sun was like getting shoved into the oven by some witch. His skin is burnt, everything the sun sourched now an ugly shade of cherry red; and his skin is slick from the sweat rolling off of him. Mat had ripped his jacket off after only three seconds of solid walking, throwing it at Manny with an angry shout. Who only laughed some more and carried it over his shoulder. Everything aches and he can't phantom how the people shoving past them handle this weather like it's nothing. His eyes pop out of his skull when he notices people wearing suits. Suits! How? It was criminal. He should arrest them, really. 

By the time they reach the poppin diner, he's rolled his sleeves up and untied the tie that was choking him. Manny opens the door with a flourish, giggling some more when Matthew moans when the air conditioning hits his tortured skin. He doesn't even pay attention after that. Mind shutting off as he follows his old friend to a booth and collapsing into it. Immediately placing his forehead against the cold table, a pleased noise escaping his throat. 

"Lovely weather for spring, huh?" 

Matthew wants to strangle him, looking up at his grin while his brown hair clings to his forehead. "I hate you."

"You needed the sun! I always thought you'd look hotter with a tan!"

"Manny, I'm _red._ I don't tan!" 

Manny feigns sorrow, pouting his lip and trying to look guilty. But he can tell from his eyes he's pretty pleased with himself. Mat grunts, and takes in how well his friend had dressed for the weather. A short sleeved shirt with a bunch of patterns on it, reminding his heavy heart of Jc briefly before he moves on. And of course some bold bell-bottom jeans. Mat really hates him for lying, but he can't focus much as he relishes in the cool air on his skin. Leaning back and just breathing in the air instead of suffocating in humidity. 

The waitress comes by and he's disappointed to see her not wearing roller skates like at Fatman Slims, but graciously smiles and takes the menus anyway. He looks through it, comparing everything to what he gets at his favorite diner while Manny provides excellent commentary on the dishes. It feels familiar. It feels good. And Mat remembers that, as long as he doesn't bring up the past, things can keep getting good for them. So he shoves his anguish aside and selfishly focuses on now. Giving his old friend witty quips in return to his comments, sending smirks at him over the menu, and asking for advice. 

"You get a milkshake for breakfast? Is that really good? Doesn't seem like it mixes well with the breakfast choices."

"It's delicious! Well, depending on the shake of course. Try getting something with chocolate."

When he makes a face at that, Manny sighs. "Or just get your water."

That sounds better. He smiles, soothed by that, and goes back to looking at the menu and missing any glances Manny sends his way. The conversation comes to a halt for a while as they decide what they want. Mat thinks the classic eggs and bacon are fine by him, and shuts the menu confidently. When Manny shuts his, he takes the menu from him and places it at the edge of the booth. He expects more silence to follow, as they wait, but Manny's quick to jump back into conversation. Like he had been waiting to do so. 

"Sooo! What did you get? The special all you can eat pancakes deal?"

Mat groans, feeling ill at all the syrup to come with that much batter. "No _way._ I'd eat three and then be done with it. And I have to walk to the station after this. I just got eggs and bacon."

While he seems bored of his answer, the producer quickly becomes intrigued again. "You're going to the station after this? Didn't you say something about a case last night?"

"Hm...maybe? It's about a case though."

"Tell me about it!" 

At that, he's quick to shake his head, "I can't tell you, sorry buddy."

Manny's mood sours at that, heavily lined eyes narrowing. "What? Why not? You shared most Everlock cases with me!"

"This isn't Everlock, it's LA." He reminds, drumming his fingers on the counter. "And if I want them to hire me, I have to do it their way."

His old friend continues to look annoyed, and it makes Mat feel terrible. His expression turns sheepish, "I'm sorry, Manny."

"You're new to town! I thought I could, you know, help a little! But if you can't tell me, that's fine, I guess...Just thought it could be something for us to do together."

While bonding with Manny is beyond tempting, he doesn't give in. Biting his lip and looking around the diner to avoid the guilt he feels rising in him. He also can't tell Manny about the case because he's a suspect, and he could've committed the crime. While Mat doubts this theory heavily, he can't let the Chief get wind of him letting his old friend on the case. So he has no choice but to go quiet. 

They sit in silence, waiting around for their waitress. He's still disappointed when she walks over to them, wondering why the roller skates weren't a thing anymore. Was it a 70s thing? Was the 80s really that different? Mat sulks in his seat. 

The waitress is some girl named Sandy, judging from her nametag. She isn't something spectacular, and isn't really Mat's type, so he pays her no mind as he gives his order. He expects Manny to do the same thing, since he knows _girls_ aren't the producer's thing at all, but he's shocked by the flirtatious look he gives her. That he's all too familiar with from the times Manny would give them purposely to Mortimer. His stomach drops, and he suddenly feels better anxious and guarded. Though he can't imagine why. 

"Hey, Sandy. What's shaking?" Manny doesn't even look at her nametag, smirking up at her. 

She blushes, shyly tucking a blonde strand behind her ear. "Manny. Hello." Then, a little more boldly, she says, "You still haven't called me!"

"I got busy." 

Mat shuffles awkwardly when Manny looks pointedly at him. 

"Well, when you're free…"

"I know! I know. I'll call. Promise."

Things get even more awkward and shocking when, after she gets Manny's order of pancakes, she leans over and kisses his cheek. Mat blinks, watching her walk off; purposely swaying her hips. Manny doesn't seem phased, turning his attention towards him once more. Mat can't stop looking at the blue lipstick on his cheek, and instead of responding to whatever the guy said, he grabs some napkins and throws them at him. As the man catches them awkwardly, he quickly explains. 

"Your cheek!"

Manny doesn't make a move to wipe it off, just rolling his eyes and placing the napkins on the table. "I'm good, thanks."

"How can you be good? She kissed you!"

"Yeah, on the cheek. It's not a big deal. Usually they kiss me on the lips." Manny coos, looking proud as he looks out the window and touches the lipstick mark. 

There isn't much he can say back to that. The sleazy behavior isn't new to him, he's very used to it from the producer, but what he isn't used to is seeing him act that way with females. He thought - well Manny had always seemed to prefer the male sex. Mat never saw him with a girl in Everlock, and he's pretty sure Manny had outright told him that he was...gay. Then had made a point by messing around with Mortimer and other random men the whole time he was in Everlock. Women had never been his old friend's type. Ever. Seeing that girl kiss him makes his stomach feel bubbly, like he's sick. 

Maybe it's a joke they have? Nikita had missed Manny a lot on the cheek and lips in a friendly manner. It has to be a friendly joke. Mat was sure the other was gay. 

Being obsessed with someone else's sexuality seemed weird, so he's quick to drop the topic. Instead, the moment he gets his food, he makes sure to tune out Sandy when she turns to Manny. Already digging into his scrambled eggs and bacon. He uses ketchup, a lot of it, that his old friend snarks off about it like he has an addiction. 

"Oh no! Not the ketchup! Your abuse of the ketchup bottle follows you wherever you go! I should've never brought such a monster here."

"Can you shut up? Look at all that syrup you're using! Pretty sure all your blood is just syrup at this point!"

"Nice insult. Mine was better."

"You are the creative one."

That wins him the argument. Manny's cheeks flush and he coughs, going back to eating his food as Mat smiles in his victory. It was nice to see that stick, after all this time. All he had to do to win an argument was throw a compliment in unexpectedly, and the producer goes red and quiets down. Mat loves this side of Manny. An open book for him to read. A book that might have a few new pages to it, but still enough old ones for him to know the man quite well. 

He wonders how much of him is easy for Manny to read. If he had ever been easy to understand to begin with. Mat takes another bite of his eggs, mindlessly watching the diner become busier. And the fact he sees hamburgers coming out instead of french toast. It's clear by now that it's noon, and he realizes he should probably make his way to the LA police department after he's done here. Even if he dreads heading back outside in the sun, he knows he'll have to. And maybe Chief Parker will be nice enough to give him a ride home? Probably not, but he can dream. He finishes up, looking at his companion who is oddly silent. 

Though definitely still eating his big stack of pancakes, Manny seems to be passing time by looking out the window. People watching, he's pretty sure. And he realizes how much more interesting people-watching is in LA then in Everlock the moment he glances out the window himself. Shocked to see the even more busier streets and cars. Even through the glass and loud diner he can hear cars honking, people shouting, and dogs parking as people walk them. Everything's so chaotic. Soon enough, he's fixated too. Trying to see what people's lives are like here. 

He gets so invested, that Manny finishes his shake and all his food in the time that he's distracted. Mat had started to watch the pigeons walking about, when his attention is captured by Manny. Who makes a humming noise that makes him snap out of his activity. When he turns to face him, the man has his chin in his hands; watching him with an almost tender expression. His eyes are wide with the shame of spacing out, and he's expecting Manny to say something witty. To tease maybe. Say something like, "hello, Mcfly?" and make a Back To The Future reference to make Mat nerd out on purpose. 

"I've missed you." Is what he gets compared to that. 

And it hurts. He doesn't think it should, but suddenly Mat's throat closes and he struggles to hold in a tormented wheeze. His heart clenches painfully so at those very words, and while he may have thought of Manny saying it, he realizes he doesn't ever want to hear it again. It makes him feel pained and angry all at the same time, and Mat feels like he could just vomit up his breakfast at the mention of Manny missing him. He knows it should be sweet. That he's supposed to feel fond of the idea. But it makes him feel the opposite. He doesn't say anything back, just looks at his hands on the table, and he knows it hurts Manny's feelings. 

_Good,_ he thinks harshly, then immediately feels guilty for wanting Manny to hurt. Why was he such a bad friend? 

"Ah- well! Let's head out then!" Manny's cheery tone is forced and Mat hates himself once more. 

He looks up to catch Manny grabbing money out of his wallet, and he's quick to fish out his own. "I'll pay!" He can make it up to him this way. 

Manny scoffs. "You need to save up money to get a place."

"I'll just pay for my half then."

"Stop being so stubborn. This meal was like, fifteen dollars. I can buy, it's fine."

He can tell he's annoying Manny, so he bites his lip and goes quiet. Seems like he'll have to make it up some other way. Or maybe, if he can gain the courage, he can make it up right now. Mat watches Manny place the money down, and tries not to panic as he finds his voice. At first, he knows he should say that he misses Manny back, or that he likes hanging out with him. But the moment Manny stands to leave he throws all caution to the wind and word vomits the first thing he can think of saying after all these years. 

"I loved you!"

What. Oh God. Please say he didn't just say that to Manny's face, in a diner he can't remember the name of, after seeing him again for a few hours. 

Manny's shocked expression says he definitely did, and his own face pales. He means it. He does. Mat did love Manny, back in Everlock. He thought they were friends, of course he loved him, but why would he say that now? His heart races and he quickly slides out of the booth, ignoring Manny's quiet "Mat" and walking straight out the diner. Leaving his coat behind and everything. He just can't believe he said something so stupid. After promising to cautiously explore this friendship, he just told Manny he loved him. Great. Someone give him an award for being such a grand fuck up. 

When he stumbles outside the diner, he doesn't take off. Just stands outside and feels the hotness press back into his skin with annoyance. The door swings open behind him not even seconds later. 

Manny has his jacket in his hands, gripping it tightly, and he looks surprised that he's still here. "Mat, I-"

"Do you know where the station is? I need to get the case information." 

The producer frowns, "Uh, not really. I think you walk forward a bit more on this street and take a turn? Somewhere? I don't know, but Mat-"

"I'll find it by myself then. I'm smart. I'll figure it out." 

"Mat-" 

"You can take the jacket back with you. It's not like I'll be wearing it."

"Matthew!"

He stops, dread filling his stomach. "What?"

There's a pause, and the annoyance on Manny's face fades to uncertainty. "Well, I was trying to say- I love you, and stay safe, alright?" 

Mat sucks in a breath, feeling shaken. "I'll try."

"Love you."

"Yeah."

And with that, he leaves Manny to walk quickly in a random direction. Making sure to put as much distance between him and his old friend as possible as his heart thunders loudly. He can't believe Manny said it back to him. How he didn't even use past tense like he had. It makes his head feel light and his heart feel weighed down by the declaration. 

He doesn't know what it means. Was this meant to start off their new friendship? Mat wanted that to be true, but what if Manny had just said the words back to please him and make him feel better? Why didn't he say it back after Manny pushed it? Mat grows agitated fast. Lost in the crowd and stuck in the LA heat. 

Whatever. He told Manny cared about him. So what? That could only mean good news. 

Even if he knows he still isn't over being left behind yet, maybe they can just skip over that fact completely. Acting like it never happened and just being close again? Acting like they had this morning. No tensions in the air and just affection between them. 

That's all he can hope for, anyway. 

* * *

It takes about twenty minutes to find the building, after asking some police officers and flashing his badge around. Matthew is beyond happy to rush up the steps and make his way inside. It takes more convincing and showing off that he's a verified detective before he makes his way into the building, calmed again when air blesses his skin. He smiles at officers walking past, who don't seem to return it. Eyeing him warily, as if he was a stranger on their territory. 

He supposes he is. But it makes him feel intimidated nonetheless. The feeling doesn't last long, because as he heads around the office trying to find his way to the Chief's room, there's a loud slam of a door and a shout of, "Did I hear Detective Patrick was here?"

Everyone turns around to look at where Jason Parker stands, and Mat feels his face break into a smile at seeing his proud stance. The moment they lock eyes, Jason grins himself, and strides over. He offers his hand out for a handshake, which the chief grabs and then slams him into a hug. Mat gasps, shocked, but his arms scramble to hold onto the body that's melted into his own. It feels so weird to hug Jason, especially in front of the entire police force, but he soon sighs and lets himself enjoy it. Sinking into the touch with an embarrassing noise in his throat.

When the older man pulls back, he makes sure to pull back as well. Making sure he doesn't seem weirdly clingy. Mat gives the chief another smile, and Jason smirks before ruffling his hair. He complains, immediately slapping the hand away and trying to sooth his hair back into place with the old gel, and his friend watches this action with mirth in his crinkling eyes. 

"Detective Matthew Patrick in the flesh, everybody!" Jason addresses the room, but his officers just share a confused look before going back to their jobs. Mat doesn't blame them a bit. 

He slaps Jason's shoulder, "They don't even know who I am."

"Course they do! I never shut up about how much better you are compared to them. They're just intimidated."

Great, so he was already going to make enemies here. How lovely. Though the fact Jason talks about him makes the annoyance simmer into joy. Jason wraps an arm around his shoulder and starts to lead him around the office. Pointing out people he seems worthy, and showing him everything the station offers. It's surprising how big it is. How many rooms there are and the fact there's more than one chair. He watches everything with impressed eyes, which he knows pleases his friend greatly. Jason acts like an alpha around here. Snapping at lingering officers and showing off his territory like he owns everything. All he can do is hope Jason never tries to make him chief material. He's fine with being a detective. 

They make their rounds, and Mat tries to read as many officers' names as possible. He sees an Officer White, and he's pretty sure there's a detective named Tyler something, but they're moving on before he can see the last name. Everyone brushes past them, and he feels like they're glaring, but brushes it off as anxiety. He eagerly waits for them to go into Jason's office, wanting to stop being stared at, but he's shocked when they stop in front of an empty desk. Jason gestures for him to take a seat, and he does so without complaint. Causing the chief to beam at his obedience. 

"You'll fit right in. I think I might cry! Am I a father? I feel like one!" 

Mat laughs, weirded out by the emotional burst. "What am I doing at someone's desk?"

"It's your desk now, son."

"What?"

Jason waves a hand over it, chest puffed out. "Your new desk! Used to be Alex's desk, but he's been...removed. Was the best in our detective field before you showed up of course! So I thought, hey, what an honor to give it to you?"

Wasn't there some Alex guy on the suspect list? The thought makes him shiver, and he definitely decides to look more into the guy later as a suspect. But for now he glares daggers at his friend, feeling off at being given a desk. Usually he did all his work at a desk, but he had been hoping to stay at Manny's place and work. 

"This situation isn't permanent, Jason. I-"

"Chief Parker, now that you're working as one of my own." His gaze does soften, "Sorry Detective Patrick. Just how the rules are. Can't show you too much favoritism, can I?"

Mat grits his teeth. "Chief Parker, I'm not moving here to be a permanent detective. I still answer to Mayor-"

"Investigator Dawson will be your partner for this case. He isn't here today, so I gathered all his evidence into this folder right here!" He slaps a folder onto the table, and Mat isn't sure how long he's been carrying it on him.

"Do good work, detective. Whole station is counting on ya! We'll grab some beers later." And with a firm squeeze to Matthew's shoulder, he turns around and heads back into his office. 

Just like that he's gone. And Matthew is stuck at a desk and a whole station full of people he doesn't know at all. His posture tenses, and he practically forces his stomach into the desk with how close he is to it. He's trying to seem as small as possible. There's officers, detectives, and Investigators talking all around him, and he's pretty sure he hears his badge poked fun at once or twice with a wince. He's angry. At Jason for ignoring his wishes to do his work how he wanted to do it. For being left in the wolves den alone. But he opens the case file and decides he's strong enough to bear it all. Biting his lip, he takes out the photos, the notes, everything he can and arranges it out. It does feel powerful to touch an actual, fresh case file for once. Even he can't deny it. 

Soon the chatter in the station fades into silence as his brain works double to understand all the clues laid before him. There's no pictures of the graffiti, but he's sure he can find where it is and get a look for himself. Though, there are pictures of the items stolen. He blinks as he takes them in, surprised at how anyone even connected them at first. It starts out tame. Spray paint cans, he can see how that connects. But then the list gets weirder. Multiple dog treats. A metal baseball bet. Masks. Makeup. A book that seems to be about cults? Or something? Mat squints, a bit pissy at how terrible the photo quality is. 

What grabs his attention was the makeup. That seems to be something Manny would steal, but nothing else added up with him either. Besides, Manny had money. Lots of it. He doesn't seem like he wouldn't need to steal at all. Of course, unless he was trying to throw Mat off his trail- or because he didn't want to be caught buying those things and having it traced to him? 

No no. There were other suspects too. Besides, he's worried about that baseball bat. Surely it was bought to cause damage in the future? Manny wasn't aggressive, so Mat's quick to brush past his old friend in order to try and connect more dots. Which would cause more research on his own, since it seemed no one in the suspect list had anything on them in the file. He sighs, though he can't help the giddiness in his chest at doing fresh research. Everything about this case was new, and his mind was racing with ideas and theorizes about the events and what happened to lead to them. He grabs the suspect list and looks it over again, before he decides to sniff around about that Alex guy; since he had been curious anyway. 

Minutes drag on into hours, and as Mat throws himself fully into his work; he forgets about everything else completely. He barely notices Jason leave the station, or some blushing officer leaving a bagel on his desk. The detective is just that invested in his work. Afternoon sunshine fades into darkness, with only the street lights flooding the city with light. He just scribbles notes down, makes connections, and keeps on working even as his hand cramps and he grows tired. 

Matthew also completely forgets about Manny, and how worried he must be when he doesn't come back to his place. 

At this very moment, all that matters to him is making progress. And nothing stops him from working the night away.


	4. Chapter 4

By the time late morning rolled around, Mat had finally caved in and decided to use the computer that was at his new desk. 

He wasn't a fan of technology. While impressive, it was always rather scary to watch everything develop and take over. Only a few years ago, computers weren't in police stations at all- and yet here he was. Surrounded by them, with them accompanying every desk! How crazy was that? He had withheld from using the one in front of him, unsure, but gave in when most of his information on suspects were flimsy at best. Mat would go out and grill people for better, more sure information, but for now the computer would do. 

It takes another hour of him fiddling with it before he's actually on it. Mat can't help but appreciate that nobody can see him utterly fail at using the computer. He keeps typing in the wrong thing, and he isn't sure what he's even looking at. Though, he still pushes on bravely. Anything for a case in his eyes.

Matthew finds some sort of forms page. Did people really leave their mark on the internet through these little comments? His eyes narrow, and he leans closer to the screen. Nervously, he goes to the 'key word' box and types in 'Alex Burriss' to see what pops up. 

Everything on the screen is hard to read, and Mat rolls his eyes before leaning closer to the computer. Squinting at it, sadly missing his sunglasses he forgot to put on this morning, he skims through the messages people have left. At first, nothing catches his eye; all he sees is people lusting after Alex and that he apparently broke up with rising actor, Gabbie, two years ago. The only thing that seems to be useful information is that everyone seemed to be asking where he was, meaning he hasn't made a public appearance since his breakup, or discharge from the police force. 

Despite this, he can't find anything about the man ever working for the police. Mat bites his lip and finally leans back into his chair, letting out a groan of frustration. Maybe he could go look around for files? There had to be something on Alex here. 

"Excuse me?"

Matthew jumps, leaping to his feet so fast he almost falls back down. His body tenses as he whirls around, eyes wide as he stares at who startled him. The lady takes a step back, mouth quirking into a smirk at his reaction. When he realizes it's not another officer, his eyes soften- until he realizes she's probably a civilian who somehow got in. The detective glares then, trying to look firm and professional. Like he belongs here. 

"What are you doing here? You aren't a cop." He winces at his own words, feeling stupid for stating the obvious. 

The blonde haired woman gives him a lopsided grin in return, "No, not a cop. My cousin is, though! Well, a retired one. Not that you care. I just wanted you to know I'm here."

He does care, learning about people is why he took this job. Being a detective was all about talking to people, learning about them; so of course he was interested in her story. But he knows he can't let her distract him. She can't be here. Though he finds it rather stupid for her to alert him of her presence if she wanted to sneak around. 

He crosses his arms, and tries to angle his hips to show off his badge and handcuffs that are attached to his belt. "Civilians aren't supposed to be in here, especially if the Chief is out. Let me escort you to the door."

She looks at him, raising an eyebrow before her eyes roam over his body. The clear inspection makes him glance away, blushing as she checks him out. He wasn't too impressed with his build, and from her snort? She clearly wasn't wasn't impressed either. 

"Sorry, Detective Patrick-" The woman leans forward to stare at his badge, and Mat backs into his desk as she intrudes on his space. "-but I do what I want. I'll be out of your greasy hair in a few seconds."

"My hair isn't greasy! It's just gelled!"

"So much so that it looks greasy." She smirks, clearly amused at his discomfort. Matthew isn't sure he likes her much anymore, even if he's still intrigued as to why she's here. 

He wills himself to take a step forward, closing in on her personal space. Her eyes widen, before she forces herself to look indifferent. Yet he can tell his bold move caught her off guard. Feeling more confident, he looks her over and frowns deeply. "If you don't tell me why you're here, I can force you out the door, miss."

"I doubt you could."

"If that's a bet you're willing to make, then-" Mat moves forward to grab her shoulder, and she jerks back. He smiles at his victory. His build might not be impressive, but he did do police training; and he certainly wasn't as weak as he seemed. 

She tries to look uncaring, but the tenseness in her shoulders proves otherwise. "Fine. I'm here to finish cleaning out my cousin's desk. I have permission to be here from Chief Parker." 

"Why didn't you say so sooner? Why jerk me around?"

"It looked fun."

Of course. He squeezes his eyes shut so he doesn't roll them, feeling annoyed at her antics. Mat hated when people had stupid reasons for doing things, especially when it came to him. Jerking someone around because it seemed fun wasn't an excuse to start a problem. When he opens his eyes, he almost closes them again at her prideful eyes. Instead, he glares at her again, trying to keep up his intimidating persona. 

"How can I trust you?"

"Ugh, I don't have time to deal with your trust issues! Watch me empty out my cousin's desk for all I care! Call the Chief and look stupid, just stop asking questions."

Her shout makes him stare at her blankly, unsure of how to proceed once she turns on her heel and strides towards a random desk. For a moment, he watches her, wondering if he should go back to researching or if he should keep an eye on her. Something about her screams trouble, and he doesn't want to get in trouble for letting her potentially steal something on his second day. Or was it his first day? Shaking his head, he abandons his desk with reluctance, walking over to where she bends over a desk. He looks over her shoulder and watches her grab items to shove into her messenger bag. 

Once she notices his presence looming over her, she glances up at him and scowls. A mean glint in her eyes, as if she would strangle him if she could. He waits for her to tell him to bug off, but she just mutters threats before turning back to cleaning out the desk. Mat gives her some space and steps back, uncomfortable with how close he had been to her in the first place. He glances for a nameplate to get the name of the Officer, and his eyes fall on a name after a second of searching. As soon as he spots it, his mouth opens and he can't stop himself from blurting the name out. 

"Officer Jones?!"

The woman pauses, looking at him. "He's my cousin, yeah. What's it to you?"

"Like, Wilmer Jones?"

This makes her relax, a tender smile on her lips, showing to the detective that she cares a great deal about him. "Yes. How do you know his name?" 

Mat smiles as he starts feeling at ease, and he pats his badge proudly. "He worked with me in a town called Everlock for years."

Her smile turns sad as she moves to grab his nameplate and put it in her bag. "He never mentioned anything about where he worked before he moved here."

Oh. Right.  _ Of course.  _ Mat's lips twitch bitterly, his smile becoming strained as his eyes darken with emotion. Who ever wanted to remember Everlock? Remember him? How silly of him to think, naively, that his partner of literal years would want to talk about him with his family. His fists clench at his side, and he looks away from his old partner's desk; his stomach churning with hunger and pain. Suddenly, despite the California weather lingering in the building, he feels oddly cold. Goosebumps prickling his arms. 

Seems like the only evidence he keeps getting is about how little people care for him. 

His patience wears thin, and he can't stop himself from snapping at her. "Hurry up." 

"Fuck off, Patrick."

Her using his last name makes him glance at her. Weirdly enough, hearing someone use his last name feels intimate. He blames it on the fact nobody even says his first name too much anymore, rather than thinking he might like her company and attitude. While the woman's looks didn't match the memory of her at all, she feels like Nikita. It's such a bizarre thought that makes him want to fall over, but it feels true to him. 

What's even more bizarre is that his chest breathes with longing. He didn't even know he missed his troublemaker friend that much. 

But thinking of  _ her  _ makes him think of  _ Manny.  _ Someone he had successfully pushed out of his mind up until this very moment. Mat pales, tapping his foot as he grows antsy. Swept up in his work ethic, he had forgotten all about his old friend. Nerves curl up tightly in his chest, but he doesn't get why he feels so worried over Manny now. The record producer could take care of himself, has  _ been _ taking care of himself for years, yet the worry doesn't go away at his logic. It's an odd sensation that he hasn't felt in a while, and he wonders if him being so anxious about Manny is a good sign. 

Doesn't it mean he still cares? Or did he just not want his potential suspect to do another crime? Matthew draws a blank with a frustrated noise; dealing with emotions like these, new and old ones, wasn't his expertise. 

Eventually the woman has gathered all she needs in her bag, leaving an empty, dusty desk in her wake. Matthew scans it over, making sure she didn't miss anything, while she clasps her bag shut with it's latch. He expects the cold shoulder, but she turns to him with a smile. 

"Walk me to the door?"

The detective tenses out of reflex, before he breathes easy and gives a confused smile back. "I have to make sure you don't steal anything on your way out."

With that, the two of them take off for the door. He notices how much faster she walks and tries his best to match her pace, which amuses her, if the glint in her eyes has anything to say about it. Mat realizes how empty the station is despite the fact police should be on call all the time. Everlock always had someone in the station! It's a weird thing to feel iffy about, but he makes a mental note to ask the Chief about it later. Maybe things had come up and he didn't know? LA was still new to him after all. 

A question forms in his mind as they walk, and he almost asks it right then and there. But he has a feeling it might be better to ask when they're at the door, which causes him to hold it back. The woman didn't seem like the type to talk and walk, considering how fast she was. He instead busies himself with keeping up, tired eyes looking around at the building to see if he can get more familiar with it. For years he dreamed of being in a real police station like this one, and here he was. Yet there was no excitement to be found, instead he felt rather alone. Threatened in such a new space. 

He had thought a change of scenery would make him feel better, but he finds himself missing Everlock more and more. This just wasn't home. Even if he was determined to make it become one. 

Finally they arrive at the double doors; Mat hanging back as she opens them with a flourish. She turns to him, thin lips curled into a smirk now. "Come on, let's go!"

He blinks, confused. "Go?" Mat didn't remember being asked to leave with her. 

"Isn't your shift over already?" She asks, eyebrows raised. "I thought you were heading home?"

"You make a lot of assumptions."

"Yeah, and they're usually right."

Mat grins, "Not this time. I still have to finish my work before I can go anywhere. Sorry to disappoint."

While he still wants to ask her the question, he decides he isn't sure he wants to know. So he easily spins around on the heels of his worn shoes, already taking a few steps back into the empty station. And he would've made it further, if something didn't grab his shoulder and tug him backwards. A gasp rips out of him, and he's quick to jerk away from the touch, his shoulder feeling as if burned. He glares daggers at the woman before him, who raises her hands in surrender. 

"Sorry! I didn't think you'd be so violent about a  _ shoulder _ touch of all things." She sneers momentarily, as if it was payback for when he tried to grab her shoulder earlier. 

He doesn't get her. And he doesn't get why her touch didn't feel...good? There's a recent memory of him wanting Manny to touch him, and getting angry when his old friend held back. Clearly he was, as much as he hated to admit it, desperate for physical contact; so why didn't the woman's touch feel good at all? He reasons that it's because she's a stranger, but even then, wasn't Manny a stranger to him at this point too? 

Maybe the air of familiarity around the producer made him an exception. 

Or, maybe, the phantom touches of the other grabbing him in the past made him long to feel it again. Relearn it. Brought on by nostalgia or something. 

"What do you still want?" Mat grumbles, crossing his arms over his chest defensively; keeping a clear distance between them. 

The woman sighs, "Listen, how long have you been working, Patrick?"

"...Hours." He taps his foot and looks away. 

"How many?"

"I don't...know…"

There's a sound of disappointment that comes from the other person. "You can't even remember?"

He sees out of the corner of his eye, that her hands reach for him, and he jerks away. Did she not understand he didn't want her to touch him? Mat watches as she examines his reaction, before finally lowering her hands. He feels relief flood through him at that. 

"You should go home." 

Mat almost says he doesn't really have one, but keeps that personal information close to his chest. "Work is more important! This case needs to be solved. There's nothing to do at home."

"You're telling me you don't have someone who is waiting on you?" She scoffs. "Nobody who you can spend time with? That's pathetic. Get some friends."

His chest flares with offense, the words hitting something in him that didn't feel good at all. He gives her another glare, knowing it's stopped having its affect a while ago, but it's all he can do. As much as he wants to say he has friends to see, or places he's needed, that would be a lie. 

The only person he had was Manny. And he's been actively avoiding him because of his own words. How childish of him, he winces, realizing how immature he's being about the whole situation. He wants to be more mature about his situation with Manny, but everything about the record producer set off feelings in him he didn't know he had. And no matter how hard he tried to be better, he would end up messing up. 

She's right. This is pathetic. Mat throwing himself into work so he doesn't have to see Manny was the saddest thing he could do. His shoulders slump, arms falling to his side. Though, despite knowing the lady was right, he finds his feet remaining planted on the floor. Just because it's the right thing to do doesn't mean he has to do it; a fact that his younger self would've been appalled at knowing. He needs distance. To clear his head, so he doesn't royally screw up everything by making Manny hate him. 

Even the thought of Manny hating him made his toes curl. As much as he disliked the producer at times, he never hated him! Not really. 

It takes him a while before he decides that yes, he'll go back. But it's only because he has to continue to watch Manny, since his old friend was still a suspect. He looks away from his shoes and back at the woman, who looks impassive at the conclusion on his face. While the detective owes nothing to the stranger, he feels like he's obligated to thank her anyway. Before he opens his mouth, though, she raises a hand to let him know to shut it again. 

"Save it. Have a good day, detective. Hope you have some fun with those loved ones of yours, whoever the unlucky bastards are."

She turns around, ready to head out the doors, but he can't just let her go without knowing her name! Mat calls out, making her stop again with a groan of annoyance. 

"What's your name? You know mine, an exchange is only fair."

The lady pauses, before turning back to him. "Lele."

And with that,  _ Lele's  _ gone. He watches her exit the building with an odd feeling. She was...something, alright. Why did she want him to go home that bad? Mat shakes the feeling off, knowing that she could see the tiredness all over him. Perhaps she was worried he would pass out? The notion of someone caring about him, especially a stranger he didn't even like, was a sickening one. Lele seemed to read him well, a talent he remembers Officer Jones having. Still, it was concerning. With the crime going on, he didn't feel safe knowing how easily Lele figured some of him out. 

Sighing, he shoves the thought away. What mattered now was hiding the files and finding his way back to Manny's place. The moment he returns to his new desk, he is quick to start cleaning up the files and shutting off the computer. Wanting no trace of his work to be left behind. He grabs the files and hastily shoves them in the desk drawer, hesitating before he closes it when his eye catches something.  _ Huh _ . Mat's eyes narrow, and he slowly picks up the object. Examining it with interest. 

A cassette player? Was this left by Alex? Blood rushes to his head, feeling excited as he places it on his desk. He opens it, but the moment he does, his grin falls flat. Of course the tape was missing. Surely Alex had used it, right? Mat checks the drawer some more, finally closing it when he realizes - save for the files - it was empty. Well, there went that hope. Maybe he could ask Chief Parker if he remembered what happened to the tapes? Why would Alex leave this behind anyway? It was a handy tool! Mat wonders if he had left in a hurry, and forgot it ..

It's his now, at least. Mat pockets it, realizing he could record any conversations he has with Manny the moment he gets a tape. While his memory was good, he still would need audible evidence. This would be a major help. It's definitely a heavy weight in his jacket pocket, but he'll hide it in his car the moment he's back at the house. While he didn't make much improvement, he has gained a tool he can use to further his investigation with Manny and other suspects. So that's something, at least. 

With a huff, he finishes packing up for the day. Double checking to make sure he covered up everything. The moment he's done, he remains still, not wanting to confront Manny again. But he can't stay here forever, seeing as the cassette in his pocket weighs heavy with the clarification that he's still on a case. There's nothing to do but go back to the house. He couldn't stall anymore. 

Matthew Patrick makes his way to the doors, opening them up again and stepping out. Seems like he wouldn't have to fret about not being able to lock up shop, since a cop car pulls up a second later. He gives a polite wave as he walks off, already feeling sticky due to the sun. The officer gives him a half hearted wave back, before Mat continues walking away. 

Hopefully his  _ impeccable  _ memory could help him find his way back.

  
  


* * *

  
  


By the time he stumbles into Manny's yard, his skin feels like it's on fire. Every inch of his skin is flushed an ugly pink, and he can barely breathe. It's worse than when he was walking with Manny, because the walk had been so short, but Mat just spent the last hour wandering around busy sidewalks because he couldn't remember where he was. He felt faint with heat, once perfect, fluffy brown hair a complete mess from how many times he tore at it in his anger. 

But he was here now, finally. His car was right there and so was the house. Matthew sighs as he walks over, quickly pounding on the door with vigor. "It's me! Mat!"

No response. 

The detective scowls, "Manny! Open the door!"

Again, a minute passes, and there's silence. He twists at the doorknob, dramatically pulling away when he realizes it's locked. The only explanation was that Manny was out, and judging by the fact his little van was missing, Matthew was right on the money with that theory. He whines, sitting down on the porch with a thud. Mat rubs his hands all over his flushed and sweaty face, trying to dry it or something, but gives up when he makes it worse from the warmth of his hands. Defeated, his knees slide up and hit his chest, the detective crossing his arms over his knees before he hides his head there. 

All he had to do now was wait. Wait for Manny to return so he can grab some water or something. He could try and find a stand somewhere, but the tree that looms over the house provides him with cooling shade, so he remains where he is. Curled up on himself. 

After a while he feels better, the heat no longer affecting him with a great intensity. But once he feels better, he quickly grows bored of doing nothing. It makes his mind wander to memories or thoughts he doesn't like visiting. Feeling bouncy, Mat stands up, trying to see if there's any sign of the van in the distance. When he comes up short, the detective sighs, wondering what he could do to keep his mind off of….things. Maybe search his car for some old notes to read? That sounded good enough for him. As he heads towards the vehicle, he remembers that, among random files he brought, he still has the letter in the car. 

Should he re read it for the first time in years? Mat doesn't think it's the best idea, considering how sensitive his relationship with Manny is, but maybe something good will come from re reading it too? Maybe Mat can get a better understanding of Manny, or realize the letter no longer makes him want to cry! It's a possibility he has to take. As much as he wants to be right for being angry at Manny, maybe he had overreacted to the letter.

Unlocking the car door, he reaches into his glove box to pull out the envelope. Not bothering to sit in the car, since the leather seats would be too hot. The moment he touches the letter in his hands, he feels as though it's fragile, but also as if he shouldn't be touching it at all. The last words Manny gave him, then, on this very letter. He takes in the handwriting on the stained envelope, which shows it's obvious age. Ten years ago, Manny had left him, and this was all he had gotten in return. The detective wills himself to hold back his anger and distress, swallowing thickly before he opens it with care. Slowly retrieving the letter with a slight shake in his fingers. 

After taking a deep breath, he begins to read it. 

_ ' Dear Mat ',  _ is how it starts off. 

As informal as ever, he notes with a strained smile. Back then, there had been no formality between them, because they had all been close friends. A concept that seems so out of reach now. 

_ ' I'm sorry I didn't show up for the last reunion, and I wanted to say sorry in advance because I won't be attending any future reunions either. Please don't take it personally! ' _

Mat clenches his jaw, shoulders tensing as he remembers how much his heart dropped upon reading this the first time. The moment he saw the letter had been from Manny, he assumed it would be something of an apology, and a promise to return next year. Instead he got this.

_ ' But if you really want me there, just let me know, and I'll get back to Everlock somehow. There isn't much to say in this letter, I wrote this because Nikita told me you asked about me. I hope you write back, or call me! ' _

As much as he hates the fact Manny wrote to him because Nikita told him to, he reads over the beginning line of the next paragraph with interest. He doesn't remember the producer writing that. Had he been too upset to notice it? Mat reads the rest of the letter, growing bored of it quickly when he realizes it's just Manny letting him know how he was, asking about the detective, and whatnot. 

The last line stings, but he pushes through it. 

_ ' I hope Everlock continues to treat you well; _

_ Lots of love, Manny ' _

Maybe it's just his own hurt, but it sounds mocking. He nostrils flare as he snorts, realizing the letter was pointless. It told him nothing about his old friend, nor did it make him feel any better. The only part he felt himself clinging to was the part he didn't remember at all. Manny had said, if Mat had just written him back and asked him to come, that he would've returned to Everlock to see the detective. A weird feeling claws at his chest, a feeling he can't put a word to. It feels...like guilt? Embarrassment? For a moment he stands there, standing right next to his open car door, and stares at the letter with a new feeling. 

Could it have been as easy as that? Writing Manny and asking him to continue the yearly visits with everyone else? Mat feels ill suddenly, wondering if he's been the sole reason for his own loneliness. The thought feels terrible, so much so, that he tries to logic it away so that it's still Manny's fault. It's a selfish maneuver, but he can't accept the fact that all this time he could've had his friend back, and he just...never did the one thing needed of him in order to reach out. 

Manny wouldn't have come back just because he asked, Matthew thinks. There's no way the producer would've dropped everything to just visit him. That isn't how these things worked. They drifted and Mat was left behind because Manny had a bigger, more shiny life that the detective didn't fit into. That one line in the letter didn't change the fact he was still left behind for ten years. It  _ didn't _ ! Manny should have realized he missed him and visited. Why did he have to admit to it? 

Deep in his thoughts, he doesn't realize he had begun to crumble the letter in his grip. The only thing alerting him to his actions was the audible crumble, and he doesn't hesitate to gasp. Stopping his actions immediately, then trying his best to smooth out the letter. Because as much as he hated this letter, he still considered it...he still  _ treasured _ it. As silly as it was. Mat remembers carefully placing it back in the envelope the moment he had finished tearing up over the letter, keeping it somewhere safe. 

A rumbling noise builds up behind him, and Matthew's head whips around to catch sight of what was making the noise. He feels his heart drop when he realizes it's Manny's van, pulling up into the driveway. There isn't much he can see of the other through the window and the distance that keeps closing in, but he can't let himself be spotted reading the letter. Mat puts it back into the envelope, hating himself for how messy he folds it, and shoves it back into his glove box, with the cassette player. It's then that he sees something he stuffed in there, and his eyes widen with realization. Oh, fuck! His hormone replacement box, full of the patches he needs. Had he really forgotten all about it? Mat facepalms, groaning before he takes the small packet in his hands, shoving it in his pant pocket. He'll change his patch later, hopefully missing a day after a few years won't do too much harm. By the time he shuts his door, the van has appeared by him and his car. 

The engine shuts off, and Matthew braces himself when the door opens; and Manny hops out while yawning. 

"So, you decided to come back?"

"I don't have anywhere else to go."

Manny's face softens at that, "I'll have to look into getting you house keys."

At that prospect, his heart skips a beat, either out of nervousness or disbelief, he can't tell. Mat shrugs, not wanting to decline the offer, but not wanting to accept it either. He feels weirded out about having keys to Manny's home, but finds himself wanting it all the same. 

He shakes himself out of his thoughts, looking towards his old friend; who quickly looks away. "Where were you at, big guy? I see you didn't walk."

There's a slight bitter tilt to his tone, as he recalls how the producer made him walk to that diner yesterday morning. Manny catches on and snickers, looking rather pleased, and something settles between them. It feels comfortable, and so the detective focuses on that. Not the letter, not the past, but this. 

The larger male glances at his nails, feigning disinterest. "Just my studio. A lunch date." 

"Oh, who's the lucky guy?" Mat smirks, ready to tease him about it, but when the producer winces, his face drops again. 

"Not a guy. Just...some business lunch date." 

Ah. Mat's lips press into a thin line. He's never had a business lunch date before. Honestly, he didn't even know they were a thing until now. Manny coughs into his fist before forcing a smile, looking positively wicked with his green eyes gleaming. Oh no, that look meant trouble, didn't it? He crosses his arms over his chest, holding back a smile, because he missed this mischievous nature from the man. 

"What?"

"What, what?"

"I know that look."

"What look?" Manny purrs, looking beyond pleased with the change in conversation. 

The detective holds back the urge to push at his shoulder fondly, still wanting the other to touch him first, rather than the other way around. "Just get on with it!"

There's a sigh, a little mumble of "you're no fun" from Manny, but the producer brightens up quickly. "I talked about you a lot today, you know? And every one of my friends are asking to meet you! So, I might've told them...Well, that you would come with me tonight." 

At his confused look, Manny elaborates. "I'm taking you to the one, the only, Circus Disco!" He boldly exclaims, looking excited at the mention of it. 

A disco? Mat feels any worries leave him at that. Oh, he could go to a disco. For a moment he thought he was about to be dragged to some shady, LA club! Obviously, he's never heard of that place, but if it's anything like the one in Everlock he'll feel right at home. The detective looks away, acting as if he was thinking about it, even though he already knew his answer. Of course he would go. Especially since he could snoop on Manny's friends. 

"Mat, please? I picked the location just for you... We usually go to this regular nightclub, but I knew you'd prefer the disco! C'mon! I'll look stupid if you don't show…"

Finally, he relents. Knowing it wasn't fair to pull Manny on forever about what his answer would be. His chest warms at the idea of his old friend picking a comfortable setting for him, but he's quick to shove it off. "Fine. I'll go. It's the least I can do, since I'm living with you now."

Manny beams, "Yes, yes it is! Now onto the best part- we're going shopping!"

His brain short-circuits at this part. Mat, when he finally finds his words, scowls. He opens his mouth to protest before realizing that he did need to shop for clothes. In his hurry, he hadn't brought much, and he's worn this outfit for three days now. Feeling shameful, he closes his mouth and looks at his shoes. Kicking at the gravel.

"What are you going to say, Mat? Hm?"

His smug tone makes Mat flush harder. "I was just going to say that I would love to go shopping." 

"Amazing to hear!"

The producer opens up his car door again, hoping in. Mat stands there, just watching him, and the moment he realizes that he's supposed to get in too- he scrambles to do so. Walking around the van and hoping into the passenger seat. While he wishes they could take his car, he finds himself happy with Many driving over him. The streets here were crazy. Remembering how thirsty he was, he looks at the cup holder to see if there's anything there. 

There isn't, so he holds his tongue. Maybe he can ask for water later. He didn't want to be a bother. 

The van starts with a strangled noise, reminding the two of its age. Manny gives him a sheepish smile before hitting the dashboard, watching the meters on it pop up. Mat shakes his head at the antics, wondering why the other hasn't got a new car. Why cling to this van? 

"I can't wait to dress you up, oooh...I've been waiting for this all day!" The producer squeals, and it's the happiest he's seen the man since he arrived. 

The past is forgotten by them both, and Mat leans back into his seat with a small smile tugging at his lips, almost as if he can't help it. "You thought about me all day?"

"I- well, I mean- I don't…" There's a long pause. "Shut up."

Mat chuckles, warm from the California sun, and lets them both fall into small talk about their day as the car starts moving. 

  
  
  



	5. Chapter 5

_Everlock is prettier._

It's the first thought that rings through Matthew's head as he stares hopelessly out the window. He keeps repeating that thought, making sure it still rings true as he takes in the blinding sights. The view isn't hard to take in, considering how bad LA traffic is, but he finds it hard to swallow. 

The streets are crowded as usual, and the cars speeding around almost make him anxious. What really takes his breath away, however, is the looming buildings that seem to reach the heavens. He isn't sure why the view is getting to him now, but he feels sick to his stomach at being enamoured by the sight he sees through the window. Was he betraying his hometown, his _people_ , by feeling this way?

"You can roll the window down, if you want."

Manny's all too familiar voice startles him; his head whirling around to take in the producer- whose eyes remain on the road. "What?"

"The air conditioner barely works, considering how busted the van is. I really don't mind if you roll down the window." His old friend's eyes glance out his own open window, as if trying to tempt Mat to follow his example. 

Flustered, the detective huffs and looks away. "I don't need your permission."

He knows that makes Manny frustrated, and he takes some joy in knowing he's a pain in his ass. Mat presses his lips together, glancing at the window and seeing the barest hint of his sweaty complexion. The heat isn't as bad in the car, since Manny's open window does provide air, but he's still hot nonetheless. After a moment, he decides to give in; cranking the stick in the door to roll down the window. The moment it's down, humid air hits his face, soon turning cool when the van starts moving forward again. 

There's an airy laugh to his left, no doubt coming from Manny, but he's too proud to turn and catch the man's gaze. His skin tingles with the knowledge of the other sneaking glances his way, though he doesn't focus on it for along. Feeling itchy due to the thin layer of sweat on his skin, he reaches up, manoeuvring his fingers under his rolled-up sleeve to itch at his skin. Brown eyes widen once he brushes over something that's _definitely_ not skin, and he's once again reminded of something. 

Mat curses under his breath, quickly peeling off the patch and throwing it out the window without much care. He digs into his pant pocket and takes out a small package of patches. 

The van comes to another stop, and Manny looks his way, raising an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"You know what it is." He hums, opening the package with his teeth, and pulling the patch out. 

"Oh! Yeah, erm, sorry." Green eyes flash with recognition. "I hope you've been putting them on daily."

An ounce of shame hits him, "I have been. I did...forget to do it yesterday, though."

"You _forgot?_ Mat-"

"It's just one day!" He argues, feeling defensive. It's not his fault LA has thrown him off guard! "I'm doing it now, see? I'm fine."

To empathize his point, he looks pointedly at Manny as he slaps the testosterone patch onto his shoulder. His sleeve is moved to cover it once more, and the record producer sighs, glancing back at the road as they start driving again. 

"If you say so. I do worry, though." Manny pauses, "I worry about you quite a _lot_ actually."

"Well, stop worrying. I'm a grown man, I can take care of myself."

The detective has taken care of himself for the past few years without any help, he doesn't need someone else to fret over him. Especially about the patches. He wouldn't forget anymore, he swears it. Mat's tongue weighs with the urge to say more on the matter, to ask Manny what he worries about when it comes to him, but the silence is too suffocating to break. 

Instead, he turns back towards his open window, feeling the breeze ruffle his hair and cool his skin. Golden brown eyes become entranced by the sights again, and he focuses on that the whole trip to the store. 

* * *

"Looks expensive," Matthew grumbles, slamming the van door shut. Bad mistake on his part, since the door gives a terrible creak. Maybe he should be more gentle with it in the future? 

His old friend comes around the vehicle, actually waiting on the detective before he starts to head to the store's double doors. 

Manny waves a hand around, gold rings flashing in the sunlight. "All stores here look, and are, expensive." He sends a teasing look his way, "Don't know why you're so worried, I'm buying your shit anyway."

"I didn't agree to that! I have money, you know-"

"I know, and really. It's my treat. I dragged you here, might as well make the shopping trip free."

First their breakfast, and now this? He bristles at the idea of being pampered in any sense, considering he's used to being alone; yet something deep within him finds this appealing. It's been ages since anyone ever bothered to take care of him for once, even back in the 70s it had been rare. Maybe he's slowly warming up to the prospect of Manny paying for everything, but the thought isn't one he's ready to admit anytime soon. His pride was a beast of its own, after all. The detective walks in with Manny at his side, eyes narrowing as he takes in the scenery. 

The store is organized, every row clearly labelled properly. A small smile twitches at his lip as he notices the array of colors, from patterns to neons. He finds himself particularly drawn to the black section of things, curiosity tugging him towards leather jackets, spiked boots, and dark jeans. Matthew steps in front of the row, every detail of the more punk rock scene making him intrigued. It doesn't take long for the record producer to firmly stand beside him, looking at Mat before trying to see what exactly about the section was interesting to him. 

A surprised laugh escapes the other male, "A leather jacket? Never saw you as the type."

Pale cheeks flame up, and he sneers at Manny. "I wouldn't wear it! It caught my eye, is all."

Manny doesn't look like he believes him, reaching towards the jacket and touching it gently. The action causes him to look at it some more; noticing the spikes on the shoulder area, and the studs along the rim of the folds. He definitely likes it, but he knows it would look rather silly on him. His interest in the rock and roll aspect of things was just that, an interest. 

What surprises him is the fact the producer pulls it off the rack. Mat glares his way, wondering what in the heavens the man was doing, before the other male starts to shrug on the jacket. His muscles tense, warmth rushing to his face as Manny shows off the jacket on his body. It looks good on him, _too_ good even. Despite the fact his colorful shirt clashes with the black, he's more focused on how the jacket squeezes Manny's arms. 

The producer smirks, "How do I look with it?" 

"You-" He suddenly coughs into his hand. "You look ridiculous." 

"Shame." Manny shakes his head, sighing as he slides the jacket back off. 

There's a twinge of disappointment lingering within when his old friend discards the jacket. He feels bad for lying, because it had looked amazing on the man, but he refuses to own up to his lie. Manny throws the jacket at him, causing Matthew to stumble to catch it. 

"What the hell?"

"Put it on!"

"Uhm, no?"

A grunt of disapproval comes out of the other man. "Please?"

Somehow, that soft please gets to him. Even though it shouldn't, by any means. He holds the stare he's given, before he relents. Taking the jacket, he starts to shove it on with a hint of aggression. Wanting to get this embarrassment over with as soon as possible. Mat knows he looks ridiculous with it on, considering he's still wearing his _tie,_ but he still feels somewhat cool in it. Almost feeds into his fantasy of being some sort of cool rebel, rather than the sad excuse of a man he really is. 

When he notices Manny's awed expression, he mocks the man's smirk from earlier. Placing a hand on his hip as he cocks it out a bit. 

"So?"

Green eyes rake over his form, causing the detective to shiver. "You look cool." Manny grins. 

_That's it?_ Mat had been going for something like badass, or threatening, but he supposes just cool will do. He shrugs, taking off the jacket and reaching out to put it back where it belonged. That is, until the leather jacket is ripped from his grip. He lets out a noise of surprise, turning to see Manny toss it over his own shoulder. Matthew raises a brow, frowning. Patiently, he waits for the producer to elaborate, but the man just sends him a wink before beckoning him towards the shirts and pants. 

Lovely. He can only guess that they're getting it for him. Despite his grumpy demeanor, there's a childish excitement in him at the prospect of owning a cool jacket. 

The two men wander around, with Manny constantly insisting that they don't need a cart, even when Mat tells him that he looks ridiculous with all the clothes hanging off his shoulders. They sort through sections and sections of clothes, all while he makes sure to provide his old friend excellent commentary on his bad fashion taste. Shopping wasn't his forte, however he finds himself enjoying the trip even as it drags on. There was something domestic about the whole thing, and he - for once - doesn't feel the usual bitterness itching at his skin. Everything seems to be fine. 

Somehow he forgets about the case and the past. It's almost nice to distract himself in this way. Matthew finds a smile making its way on his face as Manny throws another pair of bell-bottom jeans over his shoulder, shaking his head. He looks like a clothing rack himself, a fact that makes him chuckle as they keep going. Eventually, the producer leads him to the suit section as he asked, Manny's lips curled into a grimace at some of the outfits. 

"I don't see why you want a suit for the disco tonight. You could wear anything that's nice!"

"And suits are nice!" Mat argues, sending his old friend a sharp look, before he looks around. 

The record producer snorts, "Nice enough for a wedding maybe, not a disco. Seriously, just wear the jeans, a white shirt, and the jacket! You'll look great!"

"I _want_ a suit. But I do promise it won't be overly fancy. Just a nice two piece!" 

Despite his reassurance, Manny groans with annoyance, turning away from the suit section. He rolls his eyes at the antics, before continuing to browse around. All the suits definitely look fancy, from the classic wedding tux, to something that you might wear to an important meeting. Fancy and well put together always did draw him in, and he grins at the suits. Too bad he didn't have a reason to dress up, or else he would wear suits everyday. 

What would be suitable for a disco though? Longing to make a good impression on the nightlife scene, he tries to look for something hip. 

Oh. Matthew finds himself in front of a rather intriguing outfit. The pattern and flashy colors make him a bit dizzy, but it's definitely something cool; in his honest opinion. He eagerly takes it off the rack, holding it up to himself to make sure it fitted him somewhat. Seeing that it does, he throws it over his shoulder and makes his way around the shop to find Manny again. The moment he does, green eyes take in the outfit, and his old friend practically recoils in disgust. Nose scrunching up as he takes it in. 

"What is _that_ , oh my god-"

Mat huffs, "It's my disco outfit!"

"Those are Jaguar prints! That's- that's hideous!" Manny whines, covering his mouth with his hands. "I refuse to let you wear that."

His hackles raise, defensive, "It looks good! As if your fashion sense is any better-"

"Ugh, not this again. Fine, wear it! Just shut up, please?" 

"Funny. You always want me to do the opposite, and now that I'm finally talking, you want me to be quiet?"

His valid point is waved off, Manny walking towards another section of the store while Mat follows obediently. "I like you to talk, not argue with me."

The detective whistles, sticking his hands in his pant pockets. "I haven't even begun to argue yet."

When the other man falls silent, clearly frustrated with him, he laughs fondly to himself. Pleased with how easily he can get under his old friend's skin. They weave their way past other shoppers, some loud and flashy, and some quiet and muted. It's interesting, the types of different people all over. Mat had noticed from some of his people watching that there were hopeful, bright-eyed people; but there were also the ones with bruised eyes and a cowardly presence about them. 

LA wasn't the city he expected it to be. And while gorgeous, he finds himself missing Everlock even more with each hopeless person he passed. 

Suddenly, Manny stops in his tracks. Making Matthew almost bump into him- the almost accidental contact-making his chest constrict painfully. He grumbles under his breath, looking over the man's shoulder on his tippy-toes to see what section they arrived at. His heart drops when he sees it. 

"No...No! Manny, are you serious?" 

The producer grins at him, eyes wicked. "Whatever do you mean? I know the sun is hard for you out here, so I thought why not buy you some shorts?"

Matthew's lips curl into a deep scowl, crossing his arms over his chest. "No."

"Come on! If you're going to wear your stupid jaguar print suit, you can wear one pair of shorts! Please?" His eyes soften when they land on the detective. "For me?" 

This was definitely getting on his nerves. Manny looking at Mat like that, with pleading eyes and a dip in his tone, he finds his self resolve crumbling. As pathetic as it was, there's something old and settled within him that caves at Manny's begging. His shoulders slump and he exhales, squeezing his eyes shut as he slowly accepts defeat.

"Fine. But only one pair, understand?" He holds up one finger, to show his point. 

The other man claps, "Understood. I'll find you a cute pair, promise!"

"Sure…"

Feeling unconvinced, the detective hangs back as Manny sorts through various shorts. His self-conscious nature has gotten better over the years, but he still felt insecure about his legs. Again, he knew it was silly, yet it was just how it was for him. Maybe he could give shorts a go, besides, Manny had got him a ton of pants too. It was one pair of shorts. Nothing too bad. That was what he was telling himself, trying to put himself at ease with the idea. 

Over the course of a few minutes, he's shown a bunch of different shorts that he turns his nose up at. Obviously, he's appalled by any that are super short, and he finds himself shivering in disgust at the super tight shorts Manny seems keen on him trying out. After it becomes clear he wants the most modest shorts possible, that's when they finally find a decent pair he can see himself warming up to. 

The ones he holds up to his waist now are something nice and practical. They're jean shorts, a bit bleached in places, but still colorful nonetheless. Skinny around the waist and yet super baggy towards the bottom, in his eyes, it's a perfect fit. And the bright red belt is pretty cute too. Mat hums in approval, a crooked smile on his face as he throws them over his shoulder. These will do. 

"What, no thanks?" The producer teases, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm the one who found those shorts."

"You also found a billion other shorts I loathed, I'd say you don't deserve much of a thanks." 

Manny huffs, but his eyes are bright, not taking the banter personally. "Rude."

Matthew chuckles, hand twitching as he manages to stop himself from patting the other man's shoulder. He starts heading towards the counter, turning to glance back at Manny. "Just come on!"

LA was definitely a whirlwind, Manny even more so. Moving here, temporarily, seemed to make his heart go through hurdles of emotions. While the past still lingered over him, wrapped around his chest like a vice, the presence of the producer and the view of California made things better. Though he knows his problems will blow up in his face soon, he's glad to feel like this again. Light headed and dizzy with affection. When he wasn't thinking about the past, and when Manny wasn't acting weird, they acted...like friends. 

They could _be_ friends, again. Mat knows it. He'll just have to put in effort is all. 

And when they're at the counter, Manny paying for everything, he finds himself more than willing to do just that. 

* * *

Freshening up at the house takes him thirty minutes tops, while it takes Manny two more hours. 

Not like it's bothering him any. Mat keeps making sure his hair is sticking in place with the new application of gel, and constantly touching at his jaguar print suit to make sure there's no wrinkles. Manny insisted on having the bathroom to himself, and let the detective get all dressed up in his bedroom. 

Which was just calling to be investigated. It seemed like a perfect opportunity, after all. Mat takes one last look in the large mirror on the closet door, fussing over the fact some of his hair is turning _grey_ already, before he finally starts to cautiously look around. 

Though he assumed the bedroom would have more personality in it, he still finds it extremely dull. There's nothing much laying around, though he finds himself drawn to some pictures on the bedside table. His heart hammers painfully as he sees the three frames, making his way over and selfishly hoping there's a picture of him. The first picture is of Manny and a shorter male, with some sort of checkered tux on. And the producer told him he had bad taste! There's also some female draped on Manny's arm, huh. Mat tilts his head to the side, but doesn't recognize her. 

The next picture is definitely cute. It's Manny, again, standing outside some theatre happily- apparently going to see some sort of film. His lips quirk into a gentle smile as he lingers on the image. Manny looks happy there. Way happier. His shoulders aren't as tense and he can't see any bags under his forest eyes. Once he realizes the last frame ,closest to the bed, is face down, he tenderly grabs it in his hands to examine it. 

What he sees definitely calms his heart somewhat, because it proves something to Mat. Something he isn't sure of yet, but he knows the picture he's cradling in his hands is proof of something. It's a picture of Manny and him. So the man had kept something from the detective after all. There's definitely a sting that lingers in his heart because the picture had been faced down, but he doesn't care too much. 

The picture was of something he can't quite recall, although the memory starts to come back from seeing it. 

In the picture, he sees the Everlock snow behind the two of them; revealing this was taken in winter. Manny has his arms wrapped around the detective's waist and is lifting him off the ground into a hug. There's a warmth on their faces, though he can only guess it's from the chill. Matthew sighs, heart aching with something unknown at the happy expressions on their faces, and he places the picture to his chest for a moment before he places it back. However, he leaves it face up this time. 

Now, there wasn't much else to investigate. Mat walks about, looking for anything else, but finds nothing. He notices there's space underneath Manny's bed, yet hears the bathroom door open and decides against checking it out. There was probably nothing under there. 

Instead, he waits near the door, hoping he looks good, even if he knows his old friend will look even better. 

Manny comes in, bright eyed and smiling. He tries to ignore the slight flush clinging to the man's skin, blaming it on the shower he took. Shamelessly, he checks Manny out- before nodding in approval at his outfit. It was a regular, long sleeved black sweater with a belt and some dark blue jeans. He did rock it though, and his dark and smokey makeup made him look even better. 

"Hope you know you'll be sweating in that thing." Mat comments dryly. 

"I'm actually used to the weather, mind you. You're wearing long sleeves too!"

"Yeah, but the material is thin. And I don't have a turtleneck."

At this, Manny sticks a tongue out at him. A childish feat that makes his chest feel lighter. "Whatever, nerd. I got something for you to help pull off that outfit."

Before he can say something snappy at that, the man moves closer, causing the detective to tense up on instinct. Manny notices, looking hurt for a moment before shaking it off and extending two items his way. Brown eyes look down, nostalgia hitting him as he recognizes both items with ease. One is Manny's gold chain necklace, something he wore a lot back in the day; the other? It was an item he hasn't seen in a long time, considering his old friend only wore it in the beginning of his time in Everlock. His eyes soften, and he looks at Manny- asking silently if he can really wear them tonight. 

The producer smiles, nodding, and pushing them towards Mat again. So he takes the items, being careful to not brush hands. He pulls the gold necklace over his head, letting it rest around his neck, before he grabs the pink tinted sunglasses and puts them on. Matthew feels odd, as though something hot is running through his veins, but it isn't anger. 

Manny winks, "Sexy." 

"Never say that to me again."

"But you are!"

The mood is ruined by the man's terrible and fake flirting, causing Mat to roll his eyes, getting used to the pink tint in his vision. They both agree it's time to leave, and he steals one last look at the space under Manny's bed before he follows the other out the door. Apparently they're walking, great. He can only pray that he doesn't smell by the time they get there. 

He feels himself growing nervous, keeping close to Manny as they make their way to the supposed disco, but knowing LA, club would probably be a better term for it. Disco is probably just in the name, and the club will be nothing like it. That thought makes him feel homesick for a moment, before he focuses back on the situation at hand. Meeting his old friend's new friends. God, he could even go as far as to say these friends of Manny's were replacements. After all, the producer had chosen them over the Everlock's gang. The familiar bitterness and hurt ( with a new emotion all together ) rises in his throat; though he tries to shake it off. 

If he wanted to dig for information on this case, and on Manny, he would have to get along with these replacements. Friends. Whatever the hell they were. 

"Tada! Circus Disco! It's prettier on the inside. Kinda." 

They arrive in front of the building that has no windows. Mat cocks his head to the side, noticing the wear on the bricks and wood. The sign isn't impressive either. He has a feeling Manny's lying. Holding his rude comments to himself, he lets the producer lead him inside, and the moment he stumbles in, he feels anxiety hit him hard. 

His eyes close on instinct at the rainbow color lights violently flashing about, groaning in surprise. The place definitely isn't better on the inside. It's rather ugly, the furniture looking old and dirty. Mat's only standing near the entrance for a whole two seconds, horrified with the view, when someone rudely shoves his shoulder to get by. He gasps and holds it, nursing it with his fingers as he glares daggers at the back of the retreating woman. When he turns to look at his party companion, he whispers some sort of apology he can't hear before making his way towards the back. 

Fear hits him then and there, and now he's really wishing he had the confidence to grab onto Manny. The crowd is huge, and Mat's terrified he'll lose the producer in it. He practically trips over his feet to keep up, mumbling apologizes when he has to push violently past someone. Everything about this definitely screams club, not disco. Matthew shivers, feeling a bead of sweat form on his temple from the anxiety that pulses in his heart. There's so many people. Dancing, screaming, kissing. So loud. You could get lost in the crowd forever. Just the idea of that makes him want to press against his old friend, but he's too proud to give into whatever that would entail first. 

He's startled out of his thoughts at Manny's boastful shout, eyes widening as he watches the man rush over to a nearby table. Mat hangs back, taking in the group of four. That's a lot more than he expected. 

One is the checkered tux wearing man from the photo, his black hair slicked back and shaved at the sides. When Manny makes his way over, the smaller male claps him on the shoulder. There's a man that sits beside that one in the round booth, educated eyes and multiple layers on. Then there's some woman, tucked in the middle of the booth with dark makeup and clothes, brown and purple hair curling around her face. She says nothing to Manny, but does smile at him, making the detective fidget awkwardly. 

What steals his attention is a girl with short, brown and blonde hair. Dressed in some high fashioned Hollywood gown as she gets out of the seat and jumps into the producer's awaiting arms. The touch lingers for a few to long, and he swears he sees the woman kiss Manny on the lips, but the thought brings this weird emotion crashing over him- so he ignores it. She turns to him, and his heart is pounding too loud in his ears for him to hear what they're saying. He only snaps out of it when Manny beckons him over, his feet following the order obediently. 

The group of friends smile at him ( for the most part, the educated looking man glares ) as he scoots into the booth. Making sure he's on the outside so he can escape at any time. Manny sits between him and the lady. 

"Guys, this is Matthew! Mat, this is Tim, Andrea, Matt, and Gabbie."

"Another Matt? That's..fun." He looks at the man across from him, who raises an eyebrow at the comment. Okay. So Matt was not easy to please then. Fun. 

Gabbie rests her cheek on her hand, eyeing Manny and him with interest. "You said you knew him from before?"

Before the producer answers, Mat jumps in, trying to seem important. "We go way back, I knew him in the 70s."

Manny glances his way, "Yeah."

"You two were what, exactly? Best friends? How cute."

There's something snippy in her tone that makes him feel nervous. He looks towards his old friend, and is surprised to see that the producer is waiting on him to reply. The detective panics internally, wondering what he should say. 

"We weren't too close. He was just in my friend group, but we liked each other well enough, right?"

Almost as if he was looking for approval, he once again turns to Manny. The producer doesn't catch his eye, looking down and playing with the rings on his hand. He looks down suddenly, almost hurt. Did he say something wrong? Mat blinks, feeling weird as the other man shrugs his shoulders, face oddly blank. Any happiness seems drained from it. It must've been something he said, but what was so upsetting about the truth? 

"Right." Is all the raven haired male says, turning to look at Gabbie instead. "You look beautiful tonight." 

The change of conversation, and Manny's sudden interest in this girl, makes Mat's heart twist. He turns away from the scene. 

"I thought you would like the dress!" Gabbie flirts, "Bought it just for you."

As if God was taking pity on him, someone comes up and gets them all drinks. The moment his shot glasses arrive, whiskey on the rocks, he doesn't hesitate to start downing them. Despite not being a heavy drinker, the burn that hits his throat feels oddly familiar. When he finally knocks back all five of his shots, he politely requests for more, not noticing the awed look Timothy is giving him. Or the fact Manny is still avoiding his gaze, leaning close to Gabbie and smirking at her. 

"Holy shit! What are you made of, man?" Timothy exclaims. 

"Uh, sorry?" 

"You did those shots with no problem! I gotta say, color my ass impressed!" He nudges Matt next to him. "How come you can't do that?"

Matt snorts, sipping at his beer. "Why can't you, would be the better question."

The sarcasm makes the detective smirk, while it makes Tim roll his eyes. "I could definitely down five shots, hell, I could drink even more!"

"Prove it."

"Nope. It will forever remain my hidden talent."

Matthew chuckles under his breath at the ridiculousness of the man, and him and Matt share an eye roll at Tim's response. He feels better talking to these two, even if his heart still feels heavy at the fact Manny's ignoring him for some girlfriend of his. 

Oh, he hopes that Gabbie chick isn't his girlfriend. She couldn't be, right? The record producer wasn't into women, that much he remembers. The countless guys hanging all over Manny back then had assured that. And he feels like the producer's tone is forced. It doesn't feel genuine. But then...why spend his time with Gabbie, if he didn't actually like her advances? Why not spend time with him?

The other girl, Andrea, remains quiet, simply looking around and sipping her dark drink. Leaving purple stains on the rim of the glass. They catch each other's eyes, and Mat gulps nervously at the intensity of her gaze. 

"You're a detective, aren't you?"

His eyes widen behind his sunglasses. "You can tell? I'm not even wearing my badge."

"We actually had a detective in our group once. I can just see it on you. You act just like him."

"Hey, man, let's focus on other things, yeah? Don't scare him away, now." Tim intervenes, and he notices the fact he's holding Matt's hand on the table. A couple, perhaps? 

Nonetheless, he shakes his head, looking at Andrea. "Who was the detective?" And why wasn't he in the friend group anymore?

Andrea flashes her teeth at him, almost as if it was a warning. "Guy's name was Alex."

It's as if the name carries throughout the disco, seeing as the whole friend group falls silent. The mood practically drops into something sad, something mourning and tense. Matthew finds himself thrown off guard, mouth wide open. Suddenly, the name Gabbie clicks, and he glances at her. That's Alex's ex. The Hollywood star. He feels his skin go cold with a foreign feeling, realizing how close he is to the case suddenly. 

How close Manny was to another suspect. A fact that doesn't look good at all. 

Gabbie looks furious at Andrea, tongue sharp. "I don't want to hear his name, and you know it!"

The mysterious woman glares at her, "Just because you don't miss him, doesn't mean the rest of us don't! He was my friend! Forgive me for missing him when Manny brings his duplicate to the table!"

Duplicate? They didn't look alike at all, from the pictures he saw. Matthew shifts his weight, feeling unwanted. 

Timothy gapes at the two, "C'mon guys! It ain't so bad! He seems cool!"

"Talking about me like I'm not here, great." Mat mumbles to himself. 

After what feels like forever, Manny does speak up. "I just brought him over to introduce you guys. This doesn't mean he's coming to every friend gathering."

As if realizing that Matthew definitely heard that, the producer's eyes widen and he jerks around to face him. Mat doesn't know what he feels at this point, but it feels like grief. All he knows is that it hurts, and that he feels his cheeks heating up with embarrassment. Fuck, his eyes are watering too. Goddamn it. He sneers at Manny's woeful expression, knowing that nothing the man says will take back the fact he just said _that._

The rest of the table seems surprised too, as if remembering his presence. Gabbie touches Manny's back, clearly more worried about him than Mat- while Andrea bitterly blinks back her tears and stares into her cup. Missing their _actual_ friend detective, who might be on the verge of committing a murder, if he's right about the person being Alex. Timothy coughs awkwardly, turning away to talk to some of the people walking past- asking for more drinks. 

Matt, however, actually sends him a soft look. It makes Matthew feel better, knowing the other feels bad for him over the rest of the group. 

"Mat I didn't mean to..It's just…"

"Don't bother. I understand." 

His tone is bitter and thick with hatred and hurt. He's happy the glasses hide his eyes somewhat, considering he's struggling to hold back tears. Manny must see them from how close he is, and his mouth twitches into a frown- pain written on his face. 

"Matthew, please, I-"

The producer instinctively reaches out a hand, as if his touch would calm Mat, but he's too wrapped up in the situation to realize his own drink between them. The detective gasps, jumping out of the booth when cold liquid splashes on his outfit. Manny had knocked the drink over, successfully spilling it all over him. Embarrassment hits him hard then, and so does stress, and he can't stop the tears anymore. Once rolls down his face, but he doesn't feel sad. He just feels angry and too hot for his own skin. Matthew wants to claw it off, to feel anything other than this. 

Manny slides out of the booth, looking down at the detective's wet suit with worry. "Fuck! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Let me grab this, I can help you clean up in the bathroom-"

Mat snaps, feeling vicious and cornered and _oh so alone_ in this crowded club. "Oh, bite me. I don't want your fucking help. Actually, the last thing I want is to be anywhere around you."

"Don't say that." The man firmly states. "Don't. I didn't mean for this to happen."

"I don't care. Have fun with your friends, Manny. I'll be in the bathroom if you need me that bad."

With that, he turns away and storms off, trying his best to hurry away from the group without seeming like he was running. He hears Manny call out his name with a desperate edge to his tone, but ignores it as he finds the bathroom. 

Why did everything always get this bad whenever he started to feel good for once? The day had been so great, besides the whole Lele issue, and he had felt close to Manny for the first time in a while. And then everything had to blow up in his face. This was why he never tried anymore. Everything always falls apart in the end, or things leave you after all the effort you put into them. He was better off alone in Everlock. Sure he was lonely, and upset, and empty, but at least he had been fine. Had a decent reputation people respected. Manny just made him out to be a fool in front of all those people. 

The moment he's in the bathroom, he finds himself relieved it's empty. He rushes to the sinks, slamming his sunglasses near the knobs as he runs water. Cupping the cold liquid in his hand, he starts to splash it onto his face. Hoping it would make his eyes seem less red, and would get rid of the evidence that he had been tearing up at all. Right after moments like these, it's naturally for him to run his hands vigorously through his brown hair. Tugging at the strands as he struggles to breathe normally. 

It's all Manny's fault. It always is. He shouldn't bother. Not with him, or the producer's washed up friends. 

Even the mirror makes him feel terrible. Reflecting his tired form and ruined suit. Matthew sneers at his own body, before disgust hits him hard and he has to look back down at the running faucet. Hearing the dulled music booming outside, he somehow managed to slowly calm down. Telling himself that this wasn't the end of the world, no matter how bad his heart said otherwise. LA wasn't permanent, he didn't need anyone here to get attached to him. The running water of the faucet calms his senses, clearing his mind. 

Well, until the door opens up at least. His shoulders tense, baring his teeth as he turns around. "I swear to God-"

It's not Manny. And while that's exactly what he wants, he finds himself disappointed at the same time. 

Rather than the record producer, Matt stands there, shutting the door softly behind him. 

"Thought you might want this." The man holds up one of the layers he's removed from his clothes, a sweater. "So you wouldn't be wet the whole time. Alcohol spills get sticky too."

The sweater is tossed his way, which he catches easily. He narrows his tired eyes. "Why are you doing this? What's in it for you?"

"You always this paranoid?"

"I have every right to be, as a detective."

Matt smiles sadly, "That's one thing you and Alex didn't have in common."

The information makes him greedy, "What does that mean?"

"You ask too many questions, Mat. How about you chill and get changed, then we can talk."

When the other moves closer, he backs away towards a stall. Taking in Matt sitting on the sink, and turning off the faucet. Noticing that the detective still hasn't changed yet, the man raises an eyebrow at him- gesturing for him to get on with it. After a bit of reluctance, he finally does. Closing the stall door gently before he gets to work. The sweater in his hands is a warm color, a soft shade of brown, almost like his hair ; though a little darker of course. He doesn't get why Matt was being so generous, but he doesn't want to stay in this stained suit top either. Peeling off the wet article of clothing, he lets it fall to the floor as he shrugs on the sweater. 

It fits, weirdly enough, and feels warm against his cooled skin. 

Picking up the suit top, Mat tries not to notice how ridiculous he must look with the printed pants on as he exits the stall. The detective locks eyes with the other man, as if they were partaking in a staring contest. 

Matt smiles smugly. "Looking like a real winner there."

"Thanks." He rolls his eyes, tossing his suit top over his shoulder. "Now about Alex-"

The sophisticated man raises a finger, wiggling it at him. "I'm not sharing information with you, not about Alex."

Feeling annoyed, he glares. "Then why are you talking to me at all, then?"

"I wanted to offer my friendship."

"I'm pretty sure that's not how friendship works. You're supposed to have multiple bonding moments first."

Matt shrugs a shoulder, "Yeah? Well I'm impatient. I think we can get along well, so I'm just going to assume we're friends, cool?"

This is weird, but he's willing to bite. "Cool."

Not what he was expecting, though he'll take what he can get. Maybe having a true friend, with no bad history, would help him out somehow? Matthew finds himself keen with the idea, and besides, he does find it humorous that they share the same name. They could confuse people and act like twins or something. Probably could confuse themselves too.

His mood lifts slightly just at the prospect of a friend. He's terribly lonely, even with Manny around. 

"Let's do a speed round."

"Of what?"

"I'll tell you key facts about me, then vice versa. This way we can get all the small talk out of the way." Matt shivers. "I hate small talk."

"Hey, so do I!"

The man smiles at him, looking genuinely happy. "Good. Now, about me. I'm a professor and I'm taken."

Matthew waits for more while Matt blinks at him, as if waiting for his response. "Wait, is that it?"

"Yeah. And I have an enemy, but that doesn't matter. My boyfriend has more enemies."

"Boyfriend?"

Matt doesn't even hesitate. "That blubbering idiot, Tim."

Ah. So there was something there. He nods, wondering if he should say something else, but deciding against it. Instead, he takes in the fact Tim has enemies, and crosses his arms over his chest- analyzing that fact. If this friend group used to run with Alex, that could be something to look into. 

When he hears a cough, he realizes it's his turn. "Oh! Well, I'm a detective. I'm just visiting-"

"Really? Manny said you were moving here."

"It's complicated." Being caught in a lie was unexpected, "You won't tell Manny, right?"

Matt makes a zipping notion over his lips. "Nope. If anything, you guys seem to have a lot of issues already. I'm not going to add that to the mix."

"A lot of issues is a polite term for it."

"I can tell. That outburst was pretty nasty."

Outburst? Matthew scowls, "I had every reason to act that way!"

The professor yawns, "I think you guys will keep fighting if you don't make an effort to actually _be_ his friend."

Hasn't that been what he's been doing? His eyebrows furrow, blinking in confusion at the bored expression on Matt's face. Wasn't he making the effort? The detective thinks on this, remembering his time here. It only hits him then that - while he has tried here and there - Manny has been the one continuously striving towards a friendship between them. How didn't he notice before? His shoulders slump, a sigh escaping past his chapped lips, and he runs a hand through his ruined hair once more. 

But what did that matter? The producer had still said that he wouldn't come to every friend group. Still spilled his drink on him.

Almost as if Matt could tell what he was thinking, the professor huffs, leaning back as he remains seated on the sink. "I think you overreacted."

"I didn't!" A bit more nervously, he adds, "Did I?"

"Manny shouldn't have phrased what he was trying to say in that way, sure, but he did apologize immediately after. It seemed like you hurt his feelings pretty bad back there. I've never seen him like that."

Matthew has definitely seen Manny like that. He frowns, walking forward and grabbing the sunglasses to place back on his head, though he keeps them pushed up to his forehead. "But I'm hurt too. Don't I get to feel that way?"

The professor narrows his eyes, looking at him like he's a puzzle he doesn't get. "Of course you do. But you can't let that get in the way. You should make an effort and reach out. It'll go a long way."

"Didn't know you were my own personal therapist." He quips. 

"Maybe it's hard to believe, but I've been in a situation similar. Besides...friends help each other out." 

There's a cautious tone in Matt's voice as he says the last bit, a shy look shadowing over his face for the first time in the whole night. Clearly the man didn't have many friends; a fact he can relate to. Trying to seem reassuring, the detective flashes him a small, yet genuine, smile. 

"That they do, buddy. That they do."

As if right on time, both men hear approaching footsteps. Turning around to look at the door with guarded curiosity. Matthew's hand instinctively reaches for his hip, before he realizes he doesn't have his badge or his gun on him. They boys share a look, but Matt still remains sitting on the sink. It doesn't take long for the bathroom door to slowly open, and he blinks in surprise when the person awkwardly shuffles in. 

Manny. 

The record producer glances at the two of them before staring at the ground. His hands on his hips and his shoulders tensed up defensively. From this angle, he can't see the other man's eyes, but he's pretty sure they've darkened up, or even a bit red. His heart skips a beat, and he struggles to remain calm. Everything in him wants to cause another fight, though he knows that won't solve anything. If he's serious about being friends with the producer, he needs to make an effort. And a good start would be forgiving him for what happened, and apologizing himself. 

Realizing he's intruding, Matt hops off the kitchen sink, giving Mat a small smile before head out the door with a small greeting aimed at Manny. The detective thinks they'll have to hang out again sometime, when he isn't stuck in a problem. Once the professor's gone, it's just the two of them alone. The tension folding over them like a thick blanket. 

His old friend doesn't say anything, instead glances his way and opens his mouth- as if thinking of saying something - before he closes it and looks away again. 

It would be so much easier to be cruel. Matthew desperately swallows down the bitter tone he feels rising up. This would be hard, but he had to do this. Reach out, like Matt said. 

"Hey."

"Hi."

This was so ridiculous that he laughs softly to himself, causing Manny to chuckle with him. "Your friend Matt is pretty nice." He hums. "Lent me this sweater."

"He can be your friend too. All of them can be." Manny flushes, voice quick, "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I didn't mean it. I was nervous and I said something hurtful, I'm so sorry."

Matthew rolls his shoulders, wanting to tell him to fuck off, but managing to reel that in. After a few moments, he finally gets it out. His voice strained. "It's okay. I forgive you."

There's a moment of silence, before Manny looks up at him with shock written all over his face. Was Mat really that mean to him, for his old friend to not believe he had his apology accepted? Manny blinks, taken aback, "Really?"

"Yeah. And I'm sorry too. I overreacted." This is so hard to say, to force out of his mouth, but he keeps going. "I just wanted to impress your friends to please you."

"You don't have to please me! I'm already pleased with you, like, all the time."

"That's nice to hear." Mat smiles, trying to remain calm. "And I guess I thought if I did this well, we could be closer. That I could infiltrate your friend group and get close to you or something, ugh, it was so stupid!"

Manny actually smiles at him, "It isn't stupid. And you don't need to be sorry, I don't think you overreacted at all. I would've been worse."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

There's a pleasant feeling rising in his chest, something fond and tender. Maybe something gentle washes over him too, and he finally breathes right. With nothing weighing his chest down. Matthew does feel immensely better from apologizing, and actually talking this out. Even so, that didn't mean he was ready to forgive Manny for the past just yet. Maybe he never would be. But for now, he's made that effort, and crossed that bridge. There's light back in his old friend's eyes now, his glossy lips quirking into a smile, and Mat suddenly gets cocky and bold. If they're making advancements towards a friendship, he might as well take another leap. 

Swallowing his pride, the detective gives the other a nervous look before walking closer. Manny's eyes widen, though he doesn't move away, at least. Once he's invading the man's personal space, he looks up and raises a hand, hesitating. Something about this was terrifying to him, and he could only hope Manny felt the same. The producer looks frightened, but seems to lean closer. Matthew blinks, surprised, though this action makes him make the first move quicker. After all, he wanted to be the one to bridge this gap. 

His hand reaches out and _finally_ touches Manny's shoulder; and the man stops leaning closer. The contact makes Mat giddy and lighthearted, and he smiles up at his old friend as he squeezes at the shoulder fondly. And maybe tighter than he should, as if he didn't ever want to let go. 

"Are we good?" He whispers. 

There's a moment where Manny just stares down at him, cheeks flooding with color. Then he gets a smile. "Yeah. Of course. We're definitely good. You don't even know how happy I am right now."

He definitely has a feeling. Mat nods, giving the shoulder another squeeze before he pulls away. The producer seems to want to reach out now, but he decides they can save it for another time. His hand burns from the contact and he isn't sure if he wants Manny touching him in the bathroom of some dead beat club. 

"Let's head back to your friends, if they still want to see me."

"Believe it or not, they did like you. Andrea wants to apologize too."

Good. He nods again, curtly. Brushing past Manny and opening the door for them. He relishes in the fact the producer purposely bumps shoulders with him on the way out, his face breaking into a grin. 

He takes one last look at the bathroom, before he finally follows Manny out. 

The door shuts behind them, the lights flickering off. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for coming back to Crimewave! I decided to make this chapter extra long since I'll be taking a week to plan! I hope it gives you something to think about the coming weeks!
> 
> Thanks for the love and support again <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! I know I said I was taking a break from crimewave, but it seems like I couldn't stay away for long haha! here's chapter six, a lot more plot heavy than previous chapters, which I hope is still enjoyable! don't worry, mat and manny will have more relationship centered chapters soon!
> 
> I don't know when chapter 7 will be out, as I need to finish exposed chests, but hopefully it's next month! without further ado, please enjoy! and thanks so much for all the support and comments, the comments make me want to write this series <3

At this point, he was starting to find the couch oddly comfortable. Its original stiffness has gone down quite a bit, despite Matthew only sleeping on the thing twice. While it was nothing compared to a nice, expensive mattress, it was still better than a blanket on the floor. 

The events play out similar to how his first night was; he feels the sun grace his skin from drawn open curtains, the slight confusion as to where he was, and the typical exhaustion that followed him like a shadow. 

The only thing different, however, was that he felt the couch dip at the other end. Mat keeps his eyes closed, an odd sense of caution hitting him, and he nervously uncurls his legs to feel if there's anything there. Sure enough, he taps a person. It doesn't take much to come to the conclusion it's Manny, but yearning to be right, he sneaks a peek anyway.

Pride settles in his weary bones when he turns out to be right. There's something ever so perfect about this moment, but he can't quite place what it is. Maybe it's the fact he feels warm from the green blanket draped over him, or the fact his brain is slowly turning back on again. Or maybe, potentially, it's the fact he made improvement yesterday. His hand tingles with the faint, familiar phantom sensation of squeezing Manny's shoulder, and a lazy smile tugs at his lips. 

After they had left the bathroom, he spent the rest of the night squashed between Matt and Tim; on his best behavior to make up for his scene earlier.

It took a lot of work and effort, and he lost a lot of pride, but the rest of the night went swimmingly. Andrea apologized for the things she said, Tim helped shine the spotlight on him, and Gabbie didn't seem to kiss Manny's cheek every five seconds. They didn't seem to trust him by any means; though progress is still progress. Even the record producer had seemed to light up a bit more every time he talked to one of his friends! All in all, he was a little cocky about how he saved the situation. Yeah, he had Matt to thank for the common sense, but that's a minor detail. 

Deciding he's wasted enough time wiping the sleep from his eyes, Matthew moves to sit up. The green blanket falling off of his moving form. A yawn rises in his throat, his jaw falling open as he lets it out while he stretches his arms above his head. His bones crack a lot - which is definitely concerning - though the relief he feels after the stretching makes him not dwell on the condition of his body. Instead, he gently tilts his head towards the left, catching Manny's eyes - who had turned to stare at him as he got up. The record producer swallows, jaw clenching as if he wanted to look away before he smiles at him. 

"You sure seemed to sleep well."

"What? No good morning?" Mat grumbles out, trying to keep his voice light- even if it was hoarse with sleep.

Thankfully, Manny rolls his eyes and doesn't take it the wrong way. "Good morning, golden boy. How was dreamland?"

Faintly, he recalls that he dreamt of something. He looks back to try and remember what it was since he didn't see the harm in sharing. There was definitely something there, standing out against the blackness of his typical sleep, but he couldn't recall a thing. Just a blur of colors, which he couldn't tell if the colors were making up an item or a person. Realizing he had nothing to offer, the detective manages a half-hearted shrug. 

Which puts an end to any conversation involving sleep, apparently. Not like he would have it any other way, since he knew Manny wouldn't share any sort of dream with him. 

Familiar bitterness plummets into his heart, causing the detective to wince at the sting he feels because of his own thoughts. No, no, not today. He was going to hold these feelings in and not take everything out on Manny. Matthew was tired of that routine. After all the improvement he made yesterday, he couldn't fall back into his typical, restless anger and bitterness. Surely, keeping up this nice streak would be easier now, right? 

Despite this thought, his tone comes out passive-aggressive, even if the tone doesn't match his words. "What's the plan today for you?"

Damn it! As soon as he hears the words out in the open, he hears the slightly strained frustration in them. Manny hears it too, glancing at him with confusion in his eyes, but he doesn't comment on it. Though Mat was more focused on why he still sounded so bitter, even when he told himself he wouldn't be. Hell, he didn't mean to say the words with such a snide attitude! What was his problem? He was trying to be nicer. 

"I'm actually staying home today."

That catches his attention, luckily. "Wait, really? I thought you said you weren't home much."

Manny chuckles, "Oh, I'm not! Today's just one of the rare ones where I have nothing to do…"

His voice trails off at the end there, like that's not the complete truth. He's hiding something, Mat guesses, and he squints at the record producer with suspicion. Again, that bitter feeling crawls back into his skin the moment Manny bothers him, and he hates himself for not being strong enough to shake the feeling off. 

There's an itch to question, to poke and prod at Manny more, but he has better stuff to do today. Yesterday he got almost nothing done, so it was time to pick up the slack. Chief Parker was counting on him to work hard. 

"Have fun with that then," His tone remains off, "I guess I'll be seeing you later?"

"Later? Are you leaving?"

That's a stupid question. As he stands up, he turns to his old friend to raise an eyebrow. "I'm a detective with a case, remember? Of course, I'm leaving, I have work!"

Before he can see Manny's face fall, the detective grabs the new clothes he put on the coffee table ( and his patches ) before he strides off to the bathroom to change. The basic blueprint of the house is already burned into his memory, and he finds the bathroom without a problem. Stripping, he leaves the clothes on the floor as he fixates on his shoulder. Peeling off the patch and throwing it in the bin before applying a new one in its place. It sticks, thank God, and he turns to his clothes for the day. 

There was a white button-up, like the one he wore all the time in Everlock; but without the gold trim. The new tie Manny must've bought without him realizing, which was plain black. A little boring, he preferred brightly colored ties, but it was the thought that counts. Besides, maybe it would make him look more serious to these big shots?

He shrugs on the button up and fixes the tie tightly around his neck. Mat glances in the mirror to make sure everything's in place, but is quick to look away. Okay, now for the pants! He looks through the bag, deciding to go with some basic jeans and a belt to top it off. Yes, the belt was for the shorts Manny forced him to buy, but he could care less. 

Soon everything's on and in place. His shirt is neatly tucked in, Manny's pink glasses on his face ( because he was fond of them now, okay? ), and he goes to grab a jacket to complete the look. He goes to grab his typical orange trench coat when he notices a brown jacket in the bag. Curious, he pulls that out instead, not remembering buying this either. Huh. Was his memory bad, or did Manny buy more things without him noticing? 

The jacket was long and the inside of the article of clothing made him gasp. It was pale orange with stripes. There were green patches stitched into the elbows of the trenchcoat and in a variety of other places, and yes, this would make him look terrible with the black tie, but he found himself shrugging it on anyway. Mat runs a hand through his hair, not in the mood to mess with the gel today, and looks back in the mirror fleetingly. 

Okay, so, he looked ridiculous. The trench coat was long and it looked stupid with the rather professional outfit underneath. Mat likes how it feels though, and keeps it on, exiting the bathroom with the bag; leaving his dirty clothes - and Matt's sweater - on the floor since he didn't know where the laundry was. He would clean it up later when he got back. 

When he re-enters the living room, nothing's changed. Manny remains curled up on one end of the couch, watching the television with a blank look in his eyes. He looks away from the sight and places the bag on the table again, which causes enough noise to cause the record producer to startle. Mat hides a smirk by covering his mouth, but the moment the producer starts to look him over, the smirk fades naturally. He waits for Manny to comment, but the man just smiles at him and claps it up. So he supposes that means Manny approves, at the very least. 

"Are you alright?"

The raven-haired male just hums in response, grabbing the green blanket and wrapping it around himself. "Just fine. Have fun at work."

This behavior screamed strange. Mat furrows his brows, "Are you sick?"

"Maybe a bit."

"You were fine last night, though. You couldn't catch something that fast-"

Manny glances at him, looking semi irritated. "Don't worry about it, I said I was fine. You don't have to worry about me."

Wow, what was his problem? Mat's confused look morphs into a glare. Excuse him for caring! There's words on his tongue that he bites back, knowing they'll only make the situation worse. His old friend clearly wanted alone time and-

As his eyes rake around the area, he notices a phone on the table that wasn't there before. He's unfamiliar with this type of phone, the ones that are as large as house bricks and can be carried everywhere, but that's beside the point. What matters is that it's suddenly on the coffee table, and Manny's mood has soured. This makes him come to the theory that the record producer received bad news of some sort, and wasn't telling him. 

Matthew lets out a breath, intrigued ( and concerned if he's willing to admit it ) about what the bad news must've been. He hasn't seen Manny this annoyed or antsy in a while, which is what makes him tilt his head at the producer. The man turns to him again, the two males locking eyes, and Manny seems to freeze up. 

"Do you have any blank tapes?"

Manny's nose scrunches up, eyes narrowed. "Uh, yeah, why?"

It's clear that wasn't what he was expecting Mat to ask about, which is exactly why he asked it. Throwing people off guard only helped him more. He remains on his, forcing a smile towards his old friend to fake innocence. "I have a cassette player for my investigation, but I need tapes. Could I have some of yours?"

There's a moment where the two men just stare each other down, both cautious about making the first move. Eventually, Manny caves, sighing and standing up- brushing by Mat. Their shoulders touch again, and despite everything, he finds the touch electrifying. The detective shivers, before realizing he had another question. 

"Can I call the Chief on your phone?"

"Go ahead."

Cool. Okay. He doesn't hesitate to grab the phone, surprised by the weight it holds. It's definitely as heavy as a brick, that's for sure. Hopefully, they become thinner over time, or else he would just stick to the home phones. It's a memorizing thing, so different and yet familiar, and he stares at the screen on it with interest. Was there any way to check who Manny got calls from recently? He fiddles with the buttons but gets nowhere fast, so he gives up. Maybe once he had a better handle on phones he could try later. 

The detective dials the number he now knows by heart - the only one he knows by heart - and places it against his ear. 

It rings a lot longer than usual, causing him to tap his foot anxiously. He supposes it's because this phone number wasn't known by the Chief, but he can't help but feel a little annoyed at how long it's taking. Would his temporary boss pick up at all? Mat pulls the phone away from his ear slightly, frowning at it before it seems to finally pull through to who he needs to talk to. 

"How the hell did you get my personal number?" 

Chief Parker's immediate question makes his frown turn into a smile. "It's Detective Patrick, sir. I'm here to inform you I'm going to start asking the suspects questions today."

"Well, that's just swell now, ain't it? But is that any reason to call my personal phone?"

"Sorry, sir. I just wanted to ask if you could let my partner know, and send them down to Ms. Furtado's house so we can investigate?"

There's a beat of silence on the line, "I forgot I didn't give you his personal information, damn. I'll send him right over. When will you be there?"

"Soon enough. I'm heading out now."

After that bland information that he knows Chief Parker hates, they explain basic pleasantries before Mat has to hang up. Or well, would hang up, if it weren't for his boss's complex to always be the first to hang up. He rolls his eyes fondly when the call disconnects, placing the phone back down on the table. Now all he could do was wait for the blank tapes and Manny's return. 

His mind overworks itself thinking about Manny's sudden shift of attitude. Something definitely happened. The record producer has never been so distant ( if you don't count the ten years ) before. All the warmth just faded the moment he came back dressed.

All the progress they had made seemed to crumble, and the thought weighs heavy in his already jaded heart. Hopefully, when he came back, his old friend was back to being himself. He didn't want that moment in the bathroom, where he  _ reached  _ out, to mean nothing moving forward. 

The problem with all these feelings? Manny was  _ still  _ his suspect. The detective lets out a guilty sigh as he recalls that fact he seems to keep repressing. He'll have to be careful when he tries to wiggle questions out of his old friend since he can't risk losing his placement when he's so low on money! 

( Selfishly, he knows he has to be subtle about his questions because he doesn't want Manny to realize he's breaking his trust. ) 

Everything's so complicated right now. But he knows he can make everything simple again. It's his best talent after all. Taking apart things that people struggle to understand and making them into smaller, easier to get pieces. That's what he'll do to the case, and what he's going to do with Manny. Was it strange that he's always wanted to take the producer apart and understand every part of him? Was it stranger that he wanted -  _ wants  _ \- Manny to not fight this, to willingly let Mat take him apart, and let him see and  _ get  _ everything? 

Perhaps the years they've known each other and been apart has messed with his sanity a little after all. The thoughts were so startling to him because he didn't know he had such a thought before they reunited. Had...had he repressed that? 

"Here's a basket full of them! You can dump it in your car, or whatever. I don't need them back- never had a cassette player, actually."

Mat quickly turns around, eyes wide as he stares at Manny, who looks at him with confusion. In his arms are indeed a basket full of blank tapes, which he finds himself beyond thankful for. That was more than enough. 

He lets the thoughts about Manny go, for now, instead taking the basket with a pleased hum. 

"For someone who's never had a cassette player, you sure have a lot of tapes. You've never had one?"

"The prying won't work on me, detective." Manny's voice drops with an obvious tease. "But since I like you, I'll take the bait. I kept the blank tapes for someone I knew."

"Hm. Did they just not keep tapes?"

The raven-haired male shrugs, "I don't know, but what I did know was that they always ran out and would come to me to complain about it. That-"

Suddenly, the mood drops, a lingering sadness suddenly drifting through the air. Mat's confused at the shift, noticing the weird look in his old friend's eyes. He hadn't said anything, had he? The detective doesn't say anything, just watches, and Manny finally swallows before continuing. 

"That was a long time ago."

"Who was the guy? A former boyfriend? A friend?" Mat wants to ask if it's Alex, since he knows that the former detective was once in his friend group, but holds his tongue. 

Though, despite his attempt to seem like he wasn't being nosy, Manny scoffs and shakes his head. "It doesn't matter now. Just, uh, enjoy the blank tapes. Have fun at work."

With that, the producer claps him on the shoulder before turning back around and walking away again. Heading to his bedroom, probably. Mat furrows his brows, bitterly wondering if that's how Manny had felt about him. Had all their moments together been written off by his old friend just because it had been  _ so long ago?  _ Such an idea makes him fume, fingers clenching around the basket handle with a vengeance. He tries to calm himself down, knowing that he too had forgotten a lot, but he feels like he's more justified to forget than Manny. After all, he wasn't the one who abandoned him, it was the other way around and they both knew it. 

The anger boiling in him would hopefully chill over during his drive. Mat exits the house, recalling that he was going to get a house key sometime soon, and gets in his car; ready to find his way to Ms. Furtado's house. The girl had her address scribbled down on the suspect list, same with everyone else, and he recalled it well enough. She seemed like she came from big money, so a mansion wouldn't be hard to find if his theory about her was correct. 

( Which it was, he's rarely wrong ) 

Sighing, he lets the tension from Manny's behavior fade, his shoulders slumping as he starts the car and pulls out of the driveway. 

It was nice to be back in his vehicle, he could at least say that much. 

* * *

A whistle erupts from the detective the moment he pulls up to the gate, eyeing the large property with some disbelief. There was nothing quite that big back home. The land was gorgeous from what he could see from the car; a perfect garden wrapping around the mansion that was he beyond ready to explore. 

If he could explore, of course. It hits Mat then that he didn't exactly bring a warrant. Hopefully, he wouldn't be asked for one, because driving all the way to the station and coming back would waste his gas. 

The com that resides in front of the gate clicks on and Mat rolls down his window to hear it. 

"State your business please."

"Detective Patrick, from the Los Angeles police force. I'm here to ask Ms. Furtado some questions." Noticing the cameras attached to the gate, he takes his badge off his belt and flashes it to them. 

"Ah, of course. We will open the gates shortly, seeing as your partner has already arrived."

Investigator Dawson was here already? That was a shame, he had been hoping to show up first to give off a good first impression. Show that he was really serious about this case. Mat hits the steering wheel with his palm, huffing in mild annoyance, before he drives through the opening gates. Feeling relieved that he made it in, the detective lets his eyes take in the view as he drives up to the building. What really catches his attention, obviously, is the beautiful state the garden was in. The lush green plants seemed healthy; the flowers bursting out of the leaves were all vibrant colors of reds, yellows, and oranges. There were even statues around the estate, the perfect Roman and Greek kind. As he parks his car, turning it off with a flick of his wrist while holding the key, he notices the statues don't have cracks on them- and are very well kept. 

He sits in his car for a bit, grabbing the cassette player out of the glove box and stuffing some blank tapes in his pockets before he opens the door and hops out. Before he knows what he's doing, he's reaching out to touch the rosebush next to his car, brushing his fingertips over the violent red petals with wonder. Oh, how he wishes there was a garden like this back home. He's always wanted to tend to one himself. Nature was a beauty that couldn't be placed into any category, in his eyes. Mat smiles, brown eyes twinkling behind the pink lens of the glasses he wears, and he immediately goes to grab at a yellow tulip when-

"Wouldn't touch the heiress's flowers if I were you. One petal out of place and that spoiled brat might lose her mind."

Mat freezes, before he quickly yanks his hand back, coughing as he looks at the man behind him. "Ah, didn't mean to. Sorry." He takes in the man's appearance but only seems to care about the badge on his jacket. "Investigator Dawson?"

"Please, call me Shane. You're  _ the  _ Detective Patrick I've heard so much about?" 

The man extends a gloved hand, and Mat takes it. Shane's grip is loose and friendly, which was reassuring. He shakes it with a more firm grip. "That I am. Glad you could assist me with this interrogation."

Shane's lips curl into the barest hint of an amused smile. "Don't get too eager, Chief Parker told us to be as polite as possible with the questioning." At Mat's surprised face, he elaborates. "Ms. Furtado's father is a very scary man."

Though he still labels this as an investigation, he decides to tone it down. His posture relaxes and he tries to maintain a friendly persona, matching his partner's smile. When Shane goes to the door and knocks, the detective finds himself a tad disappointed. Partners who took the lead had never been his favorite since he was quite the leader himself, but he wants to make a good impression. Besides, he did find Shane to be friendly enough. 

The idea of having more friends like Matt made him a little excited. He didn't expect to make any, yet here he was. At least Shane didn't seem to be like Officer Townhouse. 

A woman and man pair open the double doors for them. The woman dips her head in respect, while the man smiles kindly at them. One seemed to be a maid, if her outfit was any indication, while the other was a butler. Both seemed to be dressed to the nines, and considering they looked nothing alike, he briefly wondered if they were a married couple who lived at Ms. Furtado's estate as their pay. But that was just a simple theory. Mat tilts his head at them, searching their outfits for a name tag and coming up empty. Shame. He hopes he could find them later and ask them questions, or schedule something. 

The man gestures for them to come inside, which Mat does with a soft thank you thrown their way. He realizes Shane isn't right behind him and looks back, not expecting to see the investigator hand the staff some cash for their troubles. Ah, so he had a partner who was kind to everyone? Brown eyes watch with fascination as Shane exchanges quick pleasantries, finding himself liking his partner more and more. 

Soon Shane is back at his side, the two partners practically attached at the hip, as they make their way down the hall to a large room. It was boring, to say the least, even if all the pure whites, golds, and bronzes were pretty. Just like Manny's house, the place lacked personality. All of it screamed the personification of  _ money.  _

Lodging in a long, comfortable-looking couch sits a woman in a white dress; a sparkly tiara sitting perfectly straight on her head. From the way she's laying about, comfortable, he can only guess this is Ms. Furtado. She's a sight for sore eyes, that's for certain. 

Shane coughs into his fist, catching her attention. Ms. Furtado looks at them, squinting, before she sighs. Okay, so she was already annoyed, that was a great start.

"Thank you, Arthur and Sarah, for bringing in the cops for me." Matthew tries not to focus on how Arthur and Sarah block the doorway the moment they step fully into the room. "I would've fetched you myself, but my ankles are swollen."

"Whatever from?" Mat asks before he thinks twice. She didn't seem like the type to do physical activity. 

Ms. Furtado looks at him, eyes ice cold. Despite the softness of her form, she didn't give him pure nor kind vibes. "If you must know, my father made me walk around in the most horrendous heels all day yesterday to impress his friends! But who cares? You aren't here for that, so let's not waste your time."

Rude. His lips instinctively curl back into a scowl, before he forces a curt smile in return. He doesn't say anything, knowing he'll just sound rude, and Shane sees this as the opportunity to take over. 

"Of course, thank you. I'm Investigator Dawson, and this is my partner, Detective Patrick. We're here to ask you a few questions about the robberies happening lately."

The heiress's bright, red lips quirk into a frown. "Am I a suspect?"

"Not at all. But people have mentioned your name, saying you were around some of the stores when it happened."

Was that true? Mat hadn't known that at all. He casts a glance at Shane, who is remaining as friendly as ever. No matter how hard he searches the man's face, he can't determine if that was a bluff or not. From the way Ms. Furtado looks nervously away, however, he can safely assume Shane had been right. How interesting. 

"I was. But I didn't see anything out of the ordinary, or else I would've gone straight to the police." Her pale cheeks turn a pretty shade of red, puffing out from her huff. 

Shane nods, "I believe you. But my partner still has questions to ask, if that's alright?" At her nod, the investigator claps Matthew on the shoulder and gives him a slight push towards Ms. Furtado. 

Okay, okay. He gives her another reassuring look, stuffing his hand in his pocket to fiddle with the cassette player. Before exiting the car earlier, he had already put the tape in. So all he has to do now is press play, a feat he struggles with before he finds the big button, and presses it in, purposely clearing his throat loudly when the player beeps to life. 

Recording without someone's consent wasn't technically in his rights to do, but he knows it's easier to get genuine information this way. 

"Ms. Furtado, were you with anyone on Monday, at 5:38 am?"

"I was. Do you want names?" At his nod, the heiress hesitates before continuing. "I was with a girl named Justine Ezarik, and a man named Jesse Wellens. Both are family friends of mine."

Full names, good. He didn't even ask for last names! Mat crosses his arms over his chest, pleased. "Alright. Was anyone supposed to meet you, but didn't?"

This question makes Shane look at him, as if not understanding why he would ask such a thing. Ms. Furtado seems confused, but answers. "Yes, actually. They canceled because they had other plans. And before you ask, their name was Lele Pons. A girl who's practically my sister."

His brain short-circuits at the name.  _ Lele?  _ The girl from the police station? The heiress was close to Wilmer's cousin? It's too many connections, and he finds himself growing more suspicious of this Lele character. Even though she wasn't on the suspect list, he would talk to Chief Parker about adding her to it. And ask the Chief if Lele ever had permission to be in the station to begin with. 

"Something wrong, detective?" 

The detached voice startles him out of his plan, and he laughs. "Everything's fine. Next question, did you see anything out of the ordinary?"

"Already said I haven't."

Her voice is too calm, he wonders if she had been  _ told _ to say she didn't see anything. "How close were you to the stores at the time the crime occurred?"

"Not too close to any of them. About a block away, almost, if my memory is correct."

Shane speaks up, "Witnesses said you were closer."

Didn't Chief Parker say there were no witnesses? Mat narrows his eyes before he looks back to Ms. Furtado, whose attitude seems to change. 

"Oh! Well- I guess I forgot. I had been right around the corner, not the block, ha! Silly me." 

What in the goddamn? What was with the sudden change? Was Shane just that good with people? Nonetheless, he appreciates the effort. Mat hopes Shane was impressed with his questioning so far. The detective nods at her new comment, deciding not to say anything about her sudden change in tune. It was caught on tape anyway.

"May I ask if you saw anything, again? Since your memory seems to be clearing up."

The heiress fiddles with the diamond necklace around her neck, "I didn't see anything. But may I offer you my own opinion on who did this?"

"...I would appreciate your opinion, yes."

Suddenly, the tension in the room shifts. It's a subtle one, but the weight in the room seems to grow heavier the moment ember eyes stare into his own. For a moment, he doesn't breathe, watching Ms. Furtado as intently as she's watching him. 

"I know it was that rotten detective." The girl's gaze darkens with hatred. "If anyone would steal those items, it would be Alex."

"Why would he steal those items?"

"To plan for something big, of course! As for the more random items, they seem exactly like the type of stuff he would gift to his ragtag friend group."

There's so much disgust in her voice, that her tone wavers with the emotion from it. Once he hears about Alex's friend group, his mind immediately whispers  _ Manny.  _ It's strange that's the first name that pops up, because he should just think of the general group of people he met last night, yet the record producer crosses his mind fast. Mat's chest twists with conflicting emotions, and suddenly he doesn't want to hear anymore. He doesn't think the heiress has much more information, as well. The detective sharply turns away, missing Ms. Furtado's cross look. 

"Thank you, Ms. Furtado. That's all." 

The cool touch of the cassette player feels nice against his clammy hands, and he presses the stop button. Finishing off the first tape in his investigation. 

His partner touches his arm, which makes Mat genuinely smile from the contact. Shane looks at their suspect, eyes light. "We really appreciate your cooperation. Do you mind if we speak to your staff?"

"Not today, they're busy. Maybe come back in a week? But you're welcome, gentlemen." Ms. Furtado's smile hardens. "Now please see yourself to the door."

At least the staff wasn't seeing them out, though he still feels angry at the sudden rudeness. If there's one thing he hated in people, it was the capability for cruelty. Nonetheless, she had answered their questions, so he can't be too upset as Shane steers him out of the estate. The firm hand on his shoulder feels nice, which makes Mat also feel better- but he wouldn't admit that he was a tad touch starved. Or admit to the fact the touch of Shane reminded him of Manny, in a strange, familiar way. 

Thinking about the record producer makes him remember the man's off mood this morning. Somehow, it makes him pick up the pace to get back to Manny's place. 

Had it really only been an hour since he's left? That didn't seem long at all. Mat wonders if Manny was expecting him to be gone longer than that, and if that means he'll be able to surprise the producer. 

The duo steps outside, the bright LA sun shining upon their faces. Mat laughs as he spots Shane wince from the bright rays, feeling glad he has sunglasses on. His partner hears the amusement and playfully nudges him, and perhaps Shane was growing on him a lot already. They just clicked, or at least he felt they did. There was a part of him that was hesitant to feel that way, especially after his failed dynamic with Officer Townhouse, but he finds himself feeling close to Shane despite his cautious nature. 

They could really do something. Maybe he was over attaching, but they had handled that situation so well! It reminded him of Wilmer. 

A wave of nostalgia hits him at that thought process, which causes him to try and shake Wilmer away from his brain. The last thing he needs to feel more of is nostalgia! The detective decides to reveal that he recorded the conversation, fishing out the cassette player from his pocket and flashing it to the other man. The ginger-haired investigator raises his eyebrows at the reveal before he smirks a little, and laughs. 

"Good job! I didn't even think of that. Usually, Chief Parker takes my word."

"He might take your word, but the court won't." Mat points out smugly, glad he got to show off. 

Shane gives him another firm squeeze on his shoulder, before letting his hand fall. "That's very true. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that, I don't think Ms. Furtado is the one who committed the crime. Or is an accomplice."

His voice holds such certainty, such confidence in his opinion, that Mat almost lets himself be swayed. But his mind is stronger than his admiration, and he decides to offer his two cents on the situation too. "I don't think she committed the crime, but I think she knew more than she let on. I hope we get to talk to her staff soon."

A flicker of disappointment flashes in Shane's hazel green eyes, but he doesn't make further comments. Nodding at Mat's statement, as if he actually would consider it. Feeling heard, the detective smiles a bit wider, his face flushing. It's weird, but he's always sought for approval within any partner he's had. To see Shane respect him, and consider his words, well; it meant a lot. 

After a moment of standing there, in front of the doors, and taking everything in, Shane finally seems to settle enough to head off to his car. Mat watches him go, curious, and the investigator pauses before he gets in his vehicle, looking at him over the roof of the car. 

"Ya know, I think the Chief was right about you. You really  _ are  _ something special. I think we'll solve this case in no time."

Being called special made his heart skip a beat, heat pooling in his stomach and chest. Mat fiddles with the player in his hands, laughing awkwardly. "I know we will! You aren't so bad yourself. I'll see you around?"

"I'm always a phone call away, Patrick!" 

It's only after Mat waves and watches the man drive off, that he realizes he didn't ask for his number. Again. Oh, Chief Parker was going to kill him! Yet the thought makes him huff a laugh as he heads to his own car. He feels lightheaded and genuinely content, seeing as doing detective work always made him happy in a way he couldn't describe. All the Manny drama seems to fade from his mind as he lingers by the gorgeous garden, taking the beauty in to add to his euphoria. Finally, he gets in his car and starts it up, throwing the cassette player into the basket with the blank tapes. He would do more with it when he was at Manny's house. 

But for now?

He turns up the dial to his radio, a song he enjoys blasting through his terrible speakers, and he taps his fingers against the wheel as he drives off. For once, feeling more content and settled than he has during his stay in LA. 

* * *

Well, well,  _ well.  _

Looks like Manny definitely got a call earlier after all? 

And not only was Mat right about that, but he now knows exactly why Manny suddenly had a day off. If the other car in the driveway was any indication. 

Company? His own car parks in front of the new, black vehicle, wondering who would visit Manny. Matthew comes to the conclusion it had to be someone the record producer didn't want him to see, considering the man had mentioned nothing about having company and pretended to feel sick. Disappointment floods through him, as he feels a bit sad that he knows he won't be seeing Matt today, but that's beside the point.

Taking his keys out of the ignition, he stuffs them in his pockets and decides to mess around with the tape. His glove box falls open and he snatches a white, permanent marker from it. Getting the tape out of the player takes little to no time; and he sets off to immediately scribble on the tape. In faint, blocky letters he writes:  _ No. 01, LA Case.  _ His handwriting is perfect considering all the paperwork he does which only makes him feel prouder of himself as he sets it in the basket. Knowing nobody would notice it buried under blank tapes-

Wait a second. 

Brown eyes catch sight of something, and he realizes _ , holy Pythagorean theorem,  _ there was a tape in the basket that wasn't blank. There was a piece of tape stuck on it with something in black lettering. Which, to him, meant it wasn't blank. Mat digs it out to inspect the tape, turning it around in his hands and reading the title. There wasn't a number on it, which meant it wasn't an investigation tape, but his heart drops when he reads the letters.  _ Me and Manny.  _

What? There's a weird pit in his stomach as he realizes his old friend must've accidentally handed over a tape of his. Didn't he say he never owned a player? Going through Manny's stuff wasn't in his to-do list, but he reminds himself that the producer was a suspect, and puts it in the player. 

For a moment, his finger hovers over the  _ PLAY  _ button, as if he was reevaluating his choice. But after a quick take in of breath, he presses down on it, his ears ringing. 

Oddly enough, the tape seems to take place mid-conversation, as if it was turned on by accident. 

_ 'I'm really going to miss you. I wish you didn't have to go.' _

Manny. Mat blinks, shocked to hear the sorrow and pain in his voice. 

_ 'Me too. But it's for the best. If something happened to you, or them, because of me? I wouldn't forgive myself. I love you so much-' _

_ 'Some would say too much, actually.' _

The other voice wasn't recognizable. Not like he focuses on that when Manny's comment makes him shuffle in the driver's seat. Love? Was this a boyfriend of his? His heart clenches awkwardly in his chest, though he doesn't know why. 

_ 'Well, I can't deny that, since it is rather true. You've always been my favorite, and I hope you'll always...' _

_ 'Don't talk like that! You're just going away! You aren't dying or anything, we'll see each other once this mess is cleared up by Tim and me.' _

_ 'Manny-' _

Another name, Tim. He remembers him, clearly in his mind, and wonders what kind of mess Tim was supposed to clean up with Manny. Was it the crime? Is that why there are no witnesses? Matt had said Tim had a lot of enemies and-

His mind is working a mile per minute, running circles around himself as he's slammed with information that was never supposed to fall in his hands. 

_ 'Don't try and convince me not to help out. I'm already in deep, might as well go deeper, right?' _

_ 'Im sorry. I shouldn't have involved you. But I couldn't keep a secret from you either. I was weak and I told you everything and I'm sorry-' _

_ 'I'm glad you told me...Alex.' _

Alex. Oh no. Oh no, no, no- Mat wheezes, beyond surprised, when he realizes he's hearing his prime suspect's voice. Ever so hazy because of the tape, yet distinct and clear. The detective lets the player fall beside him, placing his head against his steering wheel. 

No. God, why? Were Alex and Manny that close? Wasn't Gabbie the former detective's girlfriend? So what the hell did this mean? To think of Alex using Manny to cheat on the actress made him feel ill, and he didn't want to believe it. 

_ 'I love you, okay? Just- I'll always be here.' _

_ 'And you will come back, right?' _

_ 'For you? And for them? I'd do anything. Of course, I'll be back. You just have to give it time, Manny.' _

_ 'God, you're such a jerk. You've always had a way with words, you bitch!' _

There's no venom in Manny's voice, but he hears the crack in it and realizes with certainty that he's starting to cry. 

_ 'I love you.' _

_ 'You've already said that.' _

_ 'It's kinda my catchphrase! But- I do. And I just want you to know that before tomorrow.' _

_ 'I love you too, Alex. We'll get out of this mess and things will be normal again, I promise.' _

_ 'It's different when you say it. Every time Tim says it'll be okay I just don't buy it. But with you? I-' _

_ 'Hey, is your player on?' _

_ 'Oh, oh no. Well, crap. Let me just stop it. You can keep the tape if you want it?'  _

_ 'Two tapes just for me? I really am your favorite!' _

_ 'Shut up! Now let me just, ah, here we go, and goodbye recording-' _

And just like that, the conversation comes to a halt. Leaving Mat with his forehead pressed against the wheel of his car, mind whirling with this new information. It was too much, he didn't expect it, and now- 

What was he going to do? Why did his heart feel weird? Why did his chest burn and why did he feel angry and sad and confused at the same time? 

There was so much on that tape. The fact Alex and Manny are extremely close. The fact Manny has two tapes, which especially caught his attention. 

Had they-? Were they together? Mat breathes in deeply, trying to calm himself, unsure why the thought shakes him. What the fuck, Manny? It's the only thing he can think because now his old friend looks more suspicious than before. And so does Tim, who was apparently in on this too.  _ Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.  _ Cursing was not something he liked to do, but the words slip past his mouth as he bangs his head against the wheel. 

Their tones had been so sad and soft. There had been so much care laced into their tones. There was something between them. Even if it was just a friendship, it was clear it was a very strong one. Matthew swallows, letting his head rise from his wheel as he moves his hand to the basket to see if the other tape Manny mentioned was in there. But nope, the rest were blanks. 

"Fucking shit! Come on-"

This was now a huge mess. Everything he thought Manny was crumbling a bit in his mind, and he suddenly feels betrayed. This was very fucking suspicious and he can only hope the record producer wasn't in one whatever crime spree was happening lately. He can't take the idea of Manny being the criminal, but he knows he has a job to do. Which meant he would have to take the tape seriously and turn it in as evidence, along with paying more attention to Manny involving the case. 

After placing the  _ Alex and Manny  _ tape in his glove box he pauses, looking out his window to peer at the house. There's so much information that he doesn't know what to do with it. But one thing he does know is that he must see who's in Manny's house. 

With that thought in mind, determination fills him and smothers out all other emotions, and he gets out of his car. 

_ Time to see if the visitor was who he thought it was.  _


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the sudden absence in Crimewave, but it's back! I hope it was just as good as you all remember, and this chapter is definitely an important one.  
> I'm unsure when chapter eight will be, but in the meantime, you can enjoy the Pinterest board and playlist I've made for this story!
> 
> the board ;  
> https://pin.it/2icSmt6
> 
> the playlist ;  
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7kK1AwdTdKFThvLfFzx2Eg?si=uT5gAQxyQ-WnuhQKb-mUGQ
> 
> but for now, see you until I post more etn works ! leave comments and kudos if you like and feel free to contact me on my tumblr - @alinadash101 !!! love you all

As soon as Mat reaches the front door, his hand shakes; lingering near the doorknob but not yet touching it. He's excited to solve this case, but he's nervous too. If he finds Alex in here like he thinks he will, then his former friend will be in hot waters for being so close to someone related to the crimes. It's true that maybe Alex is innocent, but for some reason, he finds that hard to believe. Something hot runs through his blood as he remembers the tape he just heard and he finds himself hell-bent on Alex taking the fall for these crimes. 

Finally, his hand grabs at the doorknob, but he doesn't open the door. Yet. 

His brain overflows with ideas on how to save Manny from being labeled as an accomplice because he's pretty sure the record producer is. Mat isn't one to lie to the court or destroy evidence, but for Manny, he…

He just  _ might  _ be willing to go that far. Even if the thought makes him sick, he knows he would go that far if need be. Matthew knows he cares about Manny, even when he's angry with him and wishes the worst- it's only how he feels in the heat of the moment. The detective truly wants Manny to be safe. And maybe he's going to march in here and give the two men a piece of his mind, and  _ maybe  _ he'll say some things to his former friend that will no doubt hurt him, but at the end of the day at least he'll protect Manny from going to jail. Or worse, prison. 

Acknowledging that he cares about Manny stings his pride, though he knows he can't exactly hide from it anymore. He's still bitter, yes, he still wants the record producer to grovel at his feet and beg for forgiveness for leaving him, yet he still finds himself caring for the other man. It's confusing, feelings always are, but he can't deny the facts when they're laid out for him. And his worry over Manny's behavior earlier, the fact he's willing to move forward, proves everything he needs to know to him. He cares. He still cares about Manny and it sucks. 

Even if he goes back to denying it later, at least he's admitting it now. Despite everything, he still wants Manny to be okay- even if they can never go back to being friends like they were before. 

"You got this. You got this." He whispers to himself, trying to get hyper enough to confront what he knows is behind this door. "It's for a case. You can end it all now, don't let him escape just- open it."

If anyone ever heard him talking to himself, he would die of embarrassment. Yet it always seems to work for him ( he developed talking to himself as a way to cope with loneliness but now's not the time to think about that ) and he finds himself gaining the courage to finally push the door open. It's unlocked, of course, Manny probably didn't want a repeat of yesterday. 

The door opens and Matthew hears the conversation come to a halt in the kitchen. Anticipation makes him move his feet in a hurry to get to where the conversation was, practically sliding across the floor in his haste to get to his destination. 

As soon as he arrives in front of the kitchen, there's a victorious smirk on his face as he points towards them. " _ Aha!  _ I knew it-"

Oh. 

Brown eyes frantically go from Manny to the guest, who is staring at him like they've seen a ghost. 

_ Oh.  _

Mat's pose falters immediately as the situation slowly dawns on him. The guest goes from staring at him like they can't believe he's there, to  _ glaring _ at him like he's an intruder. There's pure frustration swirling in their brown eyes that he can read from over here in the entryway, and he glares back at them like it's an instinct he can't control. 

And he supposes he can't control it. Some habits die hard, apparently, and this is one of them. His hands fold defensively over his chest, his emotions quickly turning into a jumbled mess within him. Confusion, fear, anger, relief, and disappointment run rapid and he finds himself struggling to find balance. 

For a second, the three of them just stare at each other. Eyes darting back and forth, as if nobody else can believe this situation either. It would be amusing if Mat didn't feel like this whole situation was going to traumatize him. 

Especially, when of course, the one who breaks the silence first is  _ her.  _

"Please tell me you're joking."

Her voice is dull, hiding her every emotion as she speaks her mind. However, her expression looks like one of disbelief. Eyebrows furrowed as her narrowed eyes take him in, almost making Mat self-conscious. She's fast to turn her attention to Manny, who has been oddly quiet the whole time. When she speaks to him her tone seems to lighten up a little. He supposes it's one of the many ways she shows her weird, confusing affection for people. Instead of, you know, showing that she cares like a normal person. 

"May I ask why the fuck Matthew Patrick of all people is in your house?"

The record producer sighs, looking rather annoyed about the whole situation. But just like always, he looks more exhausted than anything. "Be nice. And it's not really any of your concern. Can we-"

"None of my concern? You never said you started talking to him again! It's been ten years, and now he's just back? Honey-" 

Mat grits his teeth as the reminder of ten years of being left alone, "Nice to see you too, Nikita."

_ Nikita Dragun _ whirls her head back to him at the interruption, black lips pulling into a rather dangerous frown. She looks different, he immediately notices it. For one, her fashion has certainly changed after leaving their small town. There's not a hint of pink anywhere on her, and seeing Nikita without a hint of her signature color makes him feel weird. She's still into  _ less-than-modest  _ clothing, if the way her legs peek out underneath her dress has anything to say about it; but the difference is the color. There's no pink, but only blacks and dark greys, along with more sparkle to the outfit. 

The next thing that he notices is her hair. The white-blonde color is gone with the pink too, and just like her outfit, is darker in tone. Her hair is now wavy locks of black, falling down her shoulders and curling at the ends. 

He can't help but sneak a glance at Manny because of the hair color. Now than ever before, the two seem to look like legitimate siblings. It's oddly fitting, he realizes, that they  _ look  _ as close as they are. 

Or, judging by the tension in the room, as close as they  _ were  _ might be the more accurate statement. 

Despite the hostility between him and the former troublemaker, he does faintly recall her coming to all of the yearly reunions that he held for a while. She never missed a single one, but he eventually told her to stop bothering when she was the last one left, and she had listened to him. So he doesn't hate her, not necessarily, though the bitterness is still there. It's swollen in his chest like an infected wound. And he isn't sure there's anything the two of them could do to help smooth things over. 

They stare one another down as if trying to win some unspoken staring contest. Quickly, the record producer grows bored of their antics - like always - and snaps his fingers to draw attention back to him. What's different about this, however, is the way Manny seems to shy away at the spotlight, while before he would relish in it. He ducks his head, face flushing with emotions he can't name. 

"It's been years, guys, come on." He doesn't have to mention what he's talking about, because Mat already knows. 

It doesn't mean he still doesn't grow angry at the mention of how long it's been,  _ again.  _ "I'm pretty sure I know better than anyone how long it's been." He says coldly, watching Manny's eyebrows furrow at his attitude. 

Some part of him is angry, still. Not satisfied with the turn of events when he had been so sure he was going to catch Alex. Usually, the detective is never wrong in a theory. Yet here he was, standing in the house that he thought contained his prime suspect, and he was finding out just how wrong he was. Mat can't hold back the frustration seeping into his tone; because even if he was wrong, that tape he heard was very much real. Which meant Manny had a lot more to do with this case than he once thought. 

A suspect. That's what his former friend was. If anyone knew where Alex was, it was the record producer, considering how... _ fond... _ Alex sounded towards him on the tape. 

The former troublemaker sighs at their comments, remaining firmly seated on the kitchen counter as she kicks her legs mindlessly. "I wasn't being mean about it. I'm just curious as to why he's here."

"You do know you don't have to talk about me like I'm not here, right?"

"Now I definitely want to know why he's here. Does he act like this all the time?" Nikita ignores him, causing his cheeks to go red with anger. 

Manny looks at Mat, green eyes meeting brown, and he's surprised when the raven haired man doesn't say anything rude about him. He just turns back to Nikita, shrugging his shoulders half-heartedly. Not a word leaves his lips, which confuses Matthew more than anything else. Maybe the other male really was feeling under the weather. Nikita and he couldn't have become so distant..could they? It's hard to imagine the two of them as anything but close. Every Everlock memory he can recall always has the two together. They had a bond like no other!

But then again, he and Ro had that same bond, and look where that got him. Left all alone while she's living it up in Paris with her new husband he never got to meet. A wedding she had a year or so back she didn't even invite him to. 

If he and Ro fell apart, he supposes Nikita and Manny could too. 

Said girl seemed to be struggling with Manny's behavior as much as he was. She bristles noticeably at his lack of reply, looking stricken before she puts her walls up again. They're not high walls, mind you, not when she's around Manny. 

"Fine, be that way. I was just trying to make conversation with you."

"We've been talking all morning," Manny murmurs, "Listen, I'm not mad that you're here, but I really,  _ really _ want to get some shut eye on my day off."

The conversation he's stumbled in the middle of feels so private suddenly. Something that shouldn't be happening around him, yet his feet remain rooted to the ground. He shuffles in place, awkward and unsure of what's his territory and what isn't. This wasn't case related at all, but something personal, and he finds himself feeling uneasy about it. 

But he's too nosy to leave. Any business of Manny's feels like business of his, even if he knows how wrong and oddly possessive that is. 

The two former best friends stare each other down like he had done to Nikita earlier, and he coughs into his fist to draw them out of it. The troublemaker scoffs at his interruption but doesn't bother looking his way. As if he wasn't even worthy of her looking at him; God, she was so egotistical. He scowls at her, which gains him a glare from Manny. So he schools his expression again into a neutral one, just like he was taught in his detective training. 

Everything is tense, the air crackling with unexpressed energy that makes his anxiety act up. If he didn't know everyone in this room better, including himself, he would be expecting a fight to break out- but he knows that no matter how much the three of them are at odds, any of them physically hurting each other was out of the question. He still feels some sort of affection here. 

Nikita looks down at her hands, playing with them in her lap. She looks so out of place that it almost hurts to see. The big, bad queen lost without her knight is a fitting way to view the situation. A more simple way, at least. 

He finds himself mourning for the years lost between them all. For once he doesn't just feel sorry for himself, a rarity that he holds onto. Mat only thought about how all this distance had made  _ him _ feel, he never even considered how everyone else was fairing with the huge change. 

"Are you-" The girl Manny used to be so fond of struggles to speak. "Are you going to invite me to stay for dinner?" 

The record producer rubs at his eyes tiredly, "I don't care. If Mat's good with it."

His heart jumps at the mention, and he's not the only one surprised by Manny's words. Nikita purses her lips, repeating what was spoken under her breath like it was an insult thrown at her. Mat supposes it is; the troublemaker has always been the producer's priority. And now it felt like he was instead, someone she never got along with. 

He's not even sure how to take it. It feels like he lives here, which he does, but the way Manny worded it felt permanent. There's a weird thrill in being placed above Nikita, too. But he knows that's petty of him, so he tries to feel guilty about it. It's not a competition anymore, it's never been one, and fighting for Manny's affection is below him. 

Not like that was why he strongly disliked Nikita to begin with, of course. There were other, more mature reasons they never clicked. Not everything revolved around Manny. Hell, Mat barely recalls their relationship back then. 

Though, his memory is now clearing. At the mention of  _ fighting for Manny's affection,  _ some experiences start resurfacing. He can suddenly recall asking the record producer to hang out, and Nikita sharply interjecting to say Manny would be busy. And when he remembers hanging around the other male, either the troublemaker wasn't there or she was constantly butting in. 

It feels, oddly, like jealousy. About what, he isn't sure. Mat's stomach twists at the awkward realization, and he can't imagine why he felt like that so many years ago. He had his best friend, Rosanna, back then, so it wasn't like he was trying to replace Nikita's position for Manny. So  _ why- _

"So, is it fine for you?"

The sharp voice snaps him out of his thoughts, and his hands fall away from where he was touching his stomach. "What?"

"I said, is it fine that I stay for dinner, your  _ highness?"  _

Manny weakly pipes up again, "Guys."

"I didn't say anything." Mat points out, unhelpfully, "She's the one with the attitude."

Nonetheless, the raven haired male looks done with both of them. He throws up his hands dramatically, sighing to convey his annoyance with them. It's then that Mat also noticed the familiar green blanket wrapped around his shoulders, which makes him feel guilty because  _ oh,  _ he probably had that around him to feel comfortable. He also lacked makeup still, his black hair a mess on his head and his skin glistening with a flush of red and sweat. It hits him for the first time that maybe, just maybe, Manny was really sick. And here he was, egging Nikita on with his responses and being unhelpful. 

He's worried, again, just like he was in the morning before his anger got the best of him. Mat feels like fawning over Manny, but withholds to retain dignity ( because he  _ is _ still mad about the Alex thing ) and because Nikita's there. 

"You should rest. You're ill, right?" The detective approaches the topic carefully. Making sure his eyes stay on Manny rather than the girl glaring at him from the kitchen counter. "You don't look well."

"Thanks."

Manny's dry and curt tone makes him realize how that sounded, and he finds himself flushing in shame. "You know that's not what I meant-"

"You're sick?" Nikita cuts him off, her tone low with her own worry, "I didn't know. Was this a bad time? You could've told me-"

_ Oh, shut up.  _ Mat finds himself biting his tongue so he doesn't say it out loud. It's not that she was annoying, but how could she only notice now that Manny was under the weather? It almost makes him angry. Almost. 

Some part of him, the part still bitter, thinks that maybe if Manny knew how to voice his emotions, then maybe Nikita would've noticed earlier. But it doesn't matter, he's trying to move forward. He's  _ trying _ to keep his emotions in check. So just like everything else, he keeps any personal thoughts to himself. Simply clenching his jaw and looking away. 

At Nikita's comment, Manny flushes and raises a hand, "Well, we can't exactly reschedule. So it's fine. Just stop with the surprise visits and inform me before coming so things aren't awkward." 

At the word awkward, both of them seem to steal a glance at him. Mat looks down at his shoes as if they're the most interesting thing on earth. 

For a moment, the woman is silent, thinking it over. When she speaks up again, her voice is softer, though there's an underlying edge that reveals her hurt, no matter how much she tries to hide it. "There wouldn't be any surprise visits if you just answered my calls. Or Roi's."

As Mat wonders what Roi has to do with this, because that's another name he hasn't heard in a long time- but he slowly realizes that there's more important things on the table. From the pained expression on Manny's face at the mention, he can guess that he was right earlier when he assumed the two best friends fell out of touch too. Something is reassuring about the fact it wasn't just him that suffered from the sudden distance. It was everyone. He feels righteous then, knowing he wasn't being overdramatic about Manny abandoning him, but why? Why the sudden withdrawal from everyone? Matthew simply didn't get it. 

From what he could see, there wasn't anything wrong with Manny's life. He was well off, he had money, he had friends who loved him, and even the old Everlock group tried to stay in contact. It's Manny who's making himself miserable, and he finds himself at odds with the idea his former friend can't even see that fact. 

His chest feels hollow thinking about it, the detective feeling helpless about the situation just as much as Nikita probably feels. And that's how he knows it's serious, he never compares himself to  _ her  _ unless it's true. Even if they had quite a few comparisons. 

The record producer runs a hand through his raven locks, musing them and suddenly looking even more pale at her words. "I'm- I think I'll lay down until dinner. Please promise me you guys won't kill each other while I'm resting?" 

When his green eyes glance between the two of them, both of them seem to look down at their feet shyly. 

"I could do that for you." Nikita pipes up first. 

Matthew nods after a moment, swallowing before he speaks. "We've gotten along before."  _ She comforted him, briefly, when she became one of the only view visiting him in Everlock.  _

At their responses, and the fact there isn't a hostile tone to their words, Manny actually looks relieved. Shoulders slumping as he now wipes at his forehead; while there isn't a smile on his face -  _ unlike the dazzling ones he was giving Mat a day or two ago  _ \- there isn't anything negative about his expression either. The detective takes comfort in this because the sooner Manny leaves, the better he can question Nikita. See what's really going on here. Ask about the Roi mention, the others, what's up with her and Manny. 

Finally, after an awkward burst of silence, Manny points at a pot on the stove and says that's their dinner ( some sort of roast, apparently ) and that it'll be done in thirty minutes. 

Before he can offer assistance, Nikita is just as eager to offer hers, and Manny tells her she can stir the roast occasionally. She nods, her pretty face perked into something that reminds him of the  _ cat who caught the canary  _ expression. His cheeks flush with embarrassment and he finally squeaks out he could help too, but Manny looks at him oddly and says there's nothing else. When he finally brushes past Matthew to leave, the detective turns his head to watch him walk away. It feels too much like rejection, like he still - after all this time - favors Nikita over him. The thought makes his stomach churn oddly, and he sticks his hands in his pockets with a scowl. 

Said woman is squinting at him the moment he turns back around. Looking defensive, even though he's sure  _ he's  _ the one who should feel as such. 

As much as he wants to squabble with her, he recalls Matt Haag's words from the bathroom. The ones that made him realize how silly some of his grudges are. He looks her over, loads of fond and terrible memories coming back from her presence alone, and he realizes - not for the first time - that he doesn't  _ hate  _ her. The detective never has. If there was a way to describe how he felt about her, he could only scramble up the words  _ threatened  _ and  _ jealous.  _ In another life, maybe they could be twins. They both shared stubborn and petty traits, that much he could admit. And that's not even getting into the whole  _ 'we were both assigned the wrong gender at birth'  _ thing either. A thought he hasn't thought of in so long. But he remembers how they went through that together, a very strong, personal feeling. 

Anyway, he realizes they've been staring at each other for too long and decides to break the silence. Take the first step. "How are you? I haven't seen you in...about two years? Maybe three?"

"Your memory has gotten worse." Nikita frowns, her eyebrows scrunching up together in confusion. 

"You don't remember either." Matthew accuses, unsure if his words stem from his hurt about it, or his urge to not be made out as the bad one here. 

She sighs dramatically and flips her black hair over her shoulder, "Girl, my life has been a rollercoaster. I don't even remember what I ate yesterday because I'm a busy bitch."

Now  _ that  _ feels so much like the Nikita he knew before compared to the hurt puppy crap he was getting from her earlier. It even reminds him of the old Manny, and he finds himself smiling without forcing it. Something small and sincere. The nostalgia a soft ache in his heart, reminding him so much of simpler times. Before he was left to rot in a town, desperate, alone, and without people he had called his family. 

_ This isn't about that _ , he reminds himself,  _ stop thinking about it.  _ So he does. Somewhat. Studies have shown if you try to stop thinking about something, you think about it more- or so he's read in the paper. 

He takes a hesitant step forward, literally this time. "Okay then, how about you tell me what you've been so busy with, then? Answer my first question."

Suddenly, she seems much more mischievous looking than before. As if she's excited to go off about what's sure to be her countless successes. Despite their complicated dynamic, he always knew she would grow far. A true city girl. And here she was, proving that to him in her expensive clothes he could only dream of affording. Everlock had held her back-

...He shouldn't think of his home like that. And, besides, Nikita loved it there. 

"Well, Patrick, I suppose I should tell you that you must cease your wet dreams about me. Your fantasies-" 

Mat's lip curls downward in a grimace, "What? You wish!" 

"-because I'm a taken woman now!" She flashes her hand his way, but despite what he expected, her wedding band isn't anything special. A simple silver red-tinted ring with carvings in it. But she sounds happy to announce such a fact, like she's genuinely proud of who she's with. 

So he manages a smile. He's a little confused, of course, because he wasn't expecting her to settle down so fast. She was so young in Everlock. Then again, when he looks her over once more, he realizes it's been years since they all lived in the town together. Remembering his greying hair, he lets himself admit that they aren't exactly  _ young  _ anymore. Even Nikita. Nonetheless, he's happy she's found peace in love, even if his heart stings with envy. Matthew's own love life has been non-existent for years. 

( When they were in the town together, that was another thing he hated her for. She always had it easier than him. The easier love life, the easier transition, the easier best friends and the easier  _ everything-  _ ) 

"Lucky you!" He cuts the bitter thoughts off. "Surprised the wild cat has been tamed! Who's the unfortunate sucker?"

Nikita's smirk struggles to stay on her face, slowly turning into a fond smile no matter how hard she tries to keep on the mask. "Would you believe me if I told you it was Roi?"

Completely floored, his jaw falls open as he stares at her, agape. For a second, he can't exactly believe it. Maybe it's because the idea of two people from the town sticking together, while everyone else seemed to fall apart, still makes his skin crawl with something he can't name. Though he takes a moment, thinking it over, and it makes sense. More sense than the former troublemaker telling him she was married to, say,  _ Colleen  _ or something. 

As he slowly comes to terms with this fact, the woman starts to stir the roast. 

The detective takes another step closer to her. Breaching that distance. "Is he here now?" His voice is soft, curious, maybe even hopeful to see the daredevil after all this time. "He used to adore Manny."

"Oh, he did. He still does, of course. You know Roi; big heart, small brain." 

He  _ knew  _ Roi, he thinks, but he still laughs with Nikita over the all too accurate statement. 

She pauses, suddenly looking forlorn, the bad bitch persona slipping when silence fills the room. He almost asks what's wrong, but she finally speaks up again. "He's in the hotel. I didn't want him to come."

"Whatever for?"

Suddenly, there's a flash of anger in her eyes as she looks at him. Lips pressed into a deadly frown as she glares. Mat takes a few steps back ( one step forward, so many steps back ) and wonders what  _ he  _ did to piss her off. 

"You don't get it. You haven't been around for years!" She scoffs as if that's his fault. "Manny...he- he doesn't need me anymore. He hasn't needed me in a long time. I never get to hang out with him, when it's just us. So when I do get the chance, I go alone."

As mad as he is at her for the sudden anger - his own cheeks flushing with such emotion - he supposes he gets it. Mat himself is a greedy person. If he had the chance to see Rosanna again, or Safiya, he would want that time alone. He hates to share his quality time. Despite agreeing with her, he remains stubbornly quiet. 

Said silence makes her angrier. "It's not fair. I've asked him multiple times to come to New York and move in with me, and he said  _ no.  _ That he  _ 'isn't lonely.'  _ And now here you are! Now  _ you _ get to live with him and I don't-" 

It's silly how he's immediately filled with this overprotective urge, and it's even sillier how fast it spills out of him. "He didn't ask me to live with him, thank you very much. I just showed up. Don't get mad at him for not wanting to live with you!"

Why was he acting like this? There's still the feeling of anger and betrayal simmering in his gut over the Manny and Alex situation, over the fact he still can't forgive the record producer for leaving him. Yet here he stood, hackles rising as he defends Manny, like a knight from the fairytale stories he's read. As if he needs the detective's protection! But no matter how embarrassed he is about his knee-jerk reaction to Nikita judging Manny, he still can't stop himself from standing tall. Ready to defend.  _ Loyal.  _ Even if he's been shown no loyalty in return from supposedly the most loyal person to come from Everlock. 

After a tense staredown, both parties refusing to look away - eyes darkening with hate - Nikita deflates. Maybe being married, being a busy woman, helped her mature because it takes Mat a good second to finally relax. Shame hot in his gut from how he just acted. 

"We used to be so close, I guess I just miss that closeness with him. He'll always be my person, even if he doesn't feel the same way anymore." Her usual brash voice is quiet now, a whisper. The house is so quiet he hears the confession as loud as a scream. It bothers him that she ignores his defense, but he swallows down another complaint. 

What he focuses on, however, is that he was obviously right. Manny and Nikita have fallen apart. The information makes his mouth twist, and before he can stop himself, he's already digging for more. "I didn't know he's withdrawn so much."

Because of the type of person Nikita is he makes sure not to make his statement a question. The woman before him has always hated answering them, because she knew the detective was trying to fish information out of her. If he made a statement with enough of a vague topic for her to respond to, she would do it without a single thought. At first, he's nervous a few years apart has squashed this technique, but he's proven wrong fast. 

She sneaks a glance outside the kitchen, as if trying to listen for any sign of Manny. When she finds nothing, she hesitantly speaks up. "Over the years, it's gotten worse. Fuck, it was fine when he first left Everlock, but the  _ very  _ year he missed the yearly visit you wanted…"

He remembers that all too well. Manny had only shown his face to the first yearly visit, then was nowhere to be seen the second one. His heart squeezes.  _ The first person to completely leave him.  _ "He started to withdraw." The detective finishes for her, to which she nods. 

"I didn't notice it at first. He excused everything with the fact he had so many labels to do, that he was busy." Nikita scoffs, a long-infected wound left on her from Manny's sudden distance that he sees all too clearly now. "That bitch. What a bunch of bullshit that all was."

"What caused it?" He pretends to ask himself, though he knows Nikita perks up at the question. "He wanted to move here. He even lived here before. It must've felt like returning  _ home  _ for him."

A part of him itches for her to answer. If anyone knew Manny best, it was her. Matthew would truly have no clue where to begin when it came to discovering who his old friend was, what made him tick. He had never known closeness with the record producer after all. From the faint memories he has, that have gotten more vivid from orbiting around Manny's presence, he can't tell what would make the other male withdraw the way he has. Despite his silent pleas, Nikita doesn't answer him, just shrugs and looks at her nails. It's frustrating but there isn't a thing he can do about it unless he wanted to start another argument that is. 

Which Manny asked them not to have. And while he owes the man no favors, he finds himself too tired to fight anyway. 

His mind is stuck in limbo. Jumping back and forth between Manny, Everlock, and his case. It's amusing how much he wants to pry into others' heads when he can't figure out his own. Years of loneliness left him stuck in his head, but his head had been silent for the most part. Buzzing with work, work, and work. Not healthy, he knew, but it was better than mopping in his bedroom and crying until his eyes were sore and too swollen to open. Perhaps said coping mechanism is what's caused him to get so spacey lately. Even now he's stuck in his mind and he knows it- but he can't stop. It's easier to make people talk to him than to make conversation. 

How did his old friend fall so far down? He went from having friends like Nikita and Roi and Colleen to...being friends with criminals. Sure, the old Everlock group had stirred up trouble lots of times- but the crimes weren't too bad. And Everlock was never strict with the law anyway. But the crimes Alex might've done? Those were legitimate crimes that Chief Parker is scared will end in murder! Matthew doesn't get it, what's so appealing about someone who only screams bad news. Maybe Manny truly was being manipulated in some way? He scratches his chin in thought, and finally Nikita speaks up again to jolt him out of his thoughts. 

"Beggars can't be choosers, I guess. I was his best friend, but your relationship with him was different. I can't compare it anymore, not like I used to."

This catches his attention. The detective perks up, confused, as he stares at her with full-moon eyes. For a reason he can't place, it feels like he's been drenched in cold water. There's something like dread sinking in his stomach. 

She notices his look and continues without him saying a word back. Maybe because she thinks he knows what she's implying and doesn't seem the harm in just talking about it. The issue is? He doesn't get it. He doesn't know. What relationship did he have with Manny that was so different? Hadn't they... _ weren't they basic friends?  _

"There's a fine line between best friends and romance, you know?" Nikita sounds amused as she speaks, even if the words make Mat feel like the walls are caving in. "Manny and Roi are people I love, but I love them differently. Just like me and you were people he  _ loved _ and he loved us differently."

If he could think logically, he would notice she sounds so wise. A woman full of experiences with this type of thing. She seems proud too, smirking as she lets him soak up her wisdom, as if she's expecting a compliment from him about her newfound maturity ( even if she's as hot and cold as ever ). But he can't focus on anything except her comparison that makes no sense. He wasn't anything like Roi, or at least what he stands for here, for Manny. There wasn't anything romantic about their past,  _ ever.  _ Not because he couldn't see himself liking Manny in such a way, but simply because he doesn't recall that bond. Romance and his past in Everlock don't go together. Besides that tiny fling with Jc-

Air seems to leave his lungs as something stirs within his mind, deep down in the empty cravens of it. He sees a flash of something that he doesn't want to begin to recognize, but he does. A memory of him getting some marks on his neck covered by an amused Manny after said fling; a memory of something electric in the air between them and lingering need in his stomach. Another memory shoots up, them in a diner together and sliding a milkshake back and forth as Mat desperately tries to cheer him up. And a final one seems to stir but his face pales at the idea of it, of...of saying that to Manny. His hands tingle with the phantom touch and holy shit, he wraps his arms around his belly and wheezes. 

Suddenly he can barely breathe. Sweat forming on his forehead as his throat closes up, his airways no longer working without strain. He feels like his stomach is being kicked repeatedly and his heart burns. Matthew tries to calm down, tries to tell himself he's not in danger and this doesn't change a thing, but he can't. As he struggles, stumbling backward, the former troublemaker keeps talking. Not at all helping his situation. Not even realizing what her words are doing to him. Everything he's known, has told himself, the relationship he made up with Manny in his mind...it's all fake. He can accept the fact he cares about the producer, but he can't accept that he's been lying to himself. 

"And bitch, who knows? Maybe something good can come from this! You might be the one person who can help him, and you  _ better  _ help him, because I swear to God if I find out you've been making shit harder for him I'll….Matthew? Mat? Hey, what's up?"

Finally, she notices his struggle. He has one hand clutching his chest and the other on the wall to steady him. Her voice sounds distorted, and he finds himself growing hateful, fast. Matthew feels weak and he can't stand it. So he lashes out like he's grown used to doing when he's upset and scared. It comes so naturally when he's dealing with Nikita as well. 

"Shut up! I don't- I don't wanna hear it. You're lying." 

His snap makes her scowl at him, "Excuse me? Nobody tells me to shut up, least of all washed up detectives." And there's that meanness he knows so well, not like he doesn't deserve it. "I haven't lied to you this whole time!"

Matthew finds himself wanting to fight with her. To engage in their typical screaming matches. It makes him feel good to feel justified in his anger. Not to mention the fact this is helping him ground himself. The tight ball of anxiety in his stomach slowly uncoils as he sneers at her. Some part of him is upset that they couldn't stay civil, but it's drowned out by the part that's running on the urge to feel better by any means necessary. He opens his mouth to tell her off yet stops when her facial expression seems to change in front of him. 

Something like regret swells in her shiny eyes, lips forming into a frown rather than a nasty scowl. She isn't looking at him anymore, instead her gaze seems to look behind him. Curious, he turns around and finds himself face to face ( or more accurately, face to chest ) with a really irritated looking Manny Gutierrez. The familiar anxiety comes back with a bang as he looks at him, as if seeing the other male in an entirely new light. Nikita's implications hang heavy in the air. His romantic past. They had a  _ romantic  _ past together and he remembers it. 

Manny looks between them, "Seriously? After all this time, you guys can't put Everlock behind you two? Am I the only mature adult here?" He sounds angry and still exhausted at the same time. 

_ Funny,  _ he thinks,  _ that you think you're so mature.  _ But he finds himself rendered speechless. The only thing he feels is cold fear rushing through his veins. 

Of course, Nikita speaks up, shockingly not throwing him under the bus. "How did you sleep? Still sick?" In fact, she dodges his anger completely. As if she doesn't care for it. 

"I feel somewhat better, thanks for asking. How's the roast?" 

Why do they brush off situations so easily? Mat's skin itches with aggravation. Dismissive attitudes were something he couldn't stand. Maybe because he was a detective, taught to look into every detail. He finds himself feeling cold in the kitchen, when he knows it's hot as hell outside, and feeling as if he's stuck between two worlds and time periods. The feeling is suffocating, his breath still coming out in large bursts and wheezes. 

Nikita couldn't care less, just giving her former best friend an answer with a smile because he's talking to her. She turns her attention back to the stew and Manny, shockingly, glances down at him. Wary. Confused. 

"You, erm, okay there? You look sick yourself. Are you sweating?" Despite the fact Mat breached their physical barrier yesterday, when Manny reaches to feel his forehead, he stops. Eventually dropping his hand. 

_ If we had a romantic past,  _ Matthew's mind snarls,  _ then why won't he even touch me?  _

Not being able to take this, the detective jerks away and slides past Manny. Very careful to not touch him, too scared he'll feel the electricity he suddenly can recall from years ago. "I need to go to the bathroom-"

"If something happened-"

"No, nothing happened. I just gotta go, okay? Just- just start dinner without me. I need a second." Matthew only turns around to snap at Manny when he tries to talk, causing the producer to frown back. There's hurt in his eyes but he doesn't care. When Manny wanted space this morning, he gave it. Now it was his turn. 

After that, he's let go without too much of a hassle. So he makes his way to the bathroom and is quick to lock the door behind him. The very moment he's alone, his knees give out and he slides down the door. Sitting on the ground with his knees pressed tightly to his chest, a ringing in his ears as he struggles to breathe. His eyes finally sting with tears and oh, God, he thought he was done with crying over what happened to him, but apparently not. He was such a crybaby, and over what? Getting left behind? 

Just because there was something more to him and Manny ten years ago didn't change the fact he was still abandoned! This new perspective shouldn't even matter! 

But as he yanks Manny's pink sunglasses off his face and hurls them across the room, he realizes it  _ does.  _ It does fucking  _ matter _ and he thinks that's the worst part. 

His heart seems to break the moment he hears the lenses of the glasses shatter as they hit the wall. A soft  _ "Damn it."  _ Leaving his lips when he realizes he broke them. It's so silly to be upset about that, but he is, and it only furthers his sadness and anger. None of it is exactly directed at Manny despite the fact he wants it to be. No, Matthew Patrick is angry at himself. How could he let himself forget his own relationships he thought meant so much to him? How could he forget? How…?

Would he have ever remembered that he and Manny were so close on his own? As Mat thinks this over, he realizes that Manny must remember this all, and suddenly feels so shitty for being such a dick when he first arrived. Sure, Manny messed up, but they were close- and the detective has been acting like they were simply acquaintances. Isn't that fucked up? The sudden distance, Manny's dejected state whenever Mat would comment on their previous dynamic, started to make a lot more sense. 

Some part of him stays angry at the producer, however, because if they were so close- then why did Manny leave first? 

Tears trickle down his flushed cheeks and he thinks about how he might never know why. Maybe there wasn't a reason. Manny just left him and that's that. Their friendship didn't mean anything to his old friend and so he had no issue leaving him. But that doesn't add up to what he knows about the man and now he's stuck in this loophole. Full of questions he can't answer. 

Even with the new information he's been given, he decides right away to reject the idea that there was a romantic element in their past. From what he can  _ now  _ recall, they certainly weren't lovers. And crushes mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. Besides, he's already trying to rebuild his friendship with the other male, he has no time to focus on whatever love he might've held for him. 

It's gone now, anyway. That love he used to have is. At least he thinks so. When he tries to think about it, there's nothing but a hollow feeling in his chest and stomach. Which means it must have faded with time and pain, right?

_ Right.  _ He sniffles as he furiously wipes at his eyes, trying to scrub all the tears away. Those feelings must've died the moment Manny left him. And besides, they probably weren't something real and personal. Just a basic attraction he's sure Manny's used to getting thanks to his looks and charming, social personality. As far as he's concerned, there isn't a thing between them. There never was. And this isn't him trying to repress anything. Matthew is acknowledging the crush and  _ deciding  _ to not do anything with it. This is his choice this time, not his mind's. 

( Still, his mind unhelpfully brings up the  _ "i loved you!"  _ he blurted out when they shared breakfast that one morning, and he realized why he said it. Why he said  _ loved.  _ It's because he did. ) 

_ What now?  _ The detective thinks miserably, as he sits against the door curled up in a ball. Cheeks wet and his mind a mess while his insides remain hollowed out. All he can think of doing is going out there and eating with them, as awkward as it may be. If the crush doesn't change a thing with his relationship with Manny, then there's no reason to hide and act any differently. Everything is still the same, a little tilted, but the same. After all, he still wants to try and bridge the gap between him and Manny. He still wants the other's companionship. 

….And he definitely still wants answers about Alex. 

Taking a large gulp of breath, his senses slowly return to him. His heartbeat slows and he can suddenly hear the outside world more clearly. Things are quiet in the bathroom, though he still can hear the slight hum of plates being made outside. The drum of his own heart in his chest. His anxiety lingers, still, but he decides to not let that dictate him any longer. He's Detective Patrick for crying out loud! Anything that comes his way is something he can deal with. Be it a troubling case or complicated people. Nothing has ever stopped him before and nothing will surely stop him now. 

A knock on the door makes him gasp, jolting back and standing up in a hurry. A voice calls out, "You okay in there? I know you said don't bother, but I don't want your plate to get cold…" Then, a bit awkwardly, "I made it for us, originally. To say sorry for my attitude this morning. You said I should cook more so I tried my hand at it."

Matthew takes delight in the fact that he doesn't feel anything weird when he realizes it's Manny's voice. There's just a nice, warm feeling in his chest because he does truly appreciate the apology, and the fact Manny is trying. 

For a second, he hesitates, looking behind him to see the now broken pink glasses on the floor. His gaze lingers on the sight for a reason he can't place. Why did he throw them? Why did he break them? The answer doesn't come to him easily, nothing ever does, so he turns back around and forces himself to respond. Ignoring the fact he broke something precious of Manny's. 

"I'm...I'm good." He decides that's how he can most accurately put it. "I'm good, Manny. And I'm sorry too."

For not remembering. For being a dick earlier. It kinda goes unsaid. 

With another deep breath in, he grabs the handle and opens the door. Once again face to face with Manny. And for a moment, he feels braver and more comfortable than he's felt for a long time. 

  
  
  
  
  



	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the absence, I'm still writing this story and more etn related works! Thank you any returning readers to the story and being patient with me and my updates!   
> If anyone wants to rant to me about the chapter my etn tumblr is @queen-of-lazarus!

"You aren't wearing the glasses I gave you."

It's the first thing Manny says to him when Mat opens the door, eyebrows furrowed as he takes in the detective's face. Immediately he ducks his head, flushing with shame because he knows what happened to said glasses. Regret eats at his heart and he considers lying about it, before he realizes how dumb it is to lie about  _ sunglasses  _ of all things. Reluctantly, he steps aside and gestures to the broken shades on the floor. Sadness twinkles in those familiar green eyes and Mat gnaws at his bottom lip nervously. 

"Sorry," he murmurs, meaning it. "I know you had those for a long time." He doesn't bother explaining why he broke them. 

The other man remains silent for a second, disappointment heavy in the air as he stares at shattered, pink lenses. Then he sighs, shrugging a shoulder as if he's indifferent to it. "I'm just glad you're feeling better. Besides, I gave them to you. If you want to break them that's up to you." 

That's  _ not  _ what he wanted to do to the sunglasses, he thinks bitterly. Breaking them hadn't helped him feel better. He wanted to keep the item gifted to him, hold it close like a prized possession because that's what it was to him. But in the moment, he didn't see it that way. In his mind, it was an item that was Manny's and that was all he cared about when he threw it to the wall; when he  _ broke _ them. At the time he just wanted...to destroy something that was his old friend's. 

He regrets it more than anything now. One of Manny's Everlock possessions was gone because of his reckless anger. And no matter what the record producer said, he can see the hurt in his eyes. It only makes him feel worse. 

"Well, anyway, are you ready for dinner? Nikita set up the plates." Manny's voice is quiet when he says the girl's name. 

Mat averts his eyes from Manny, "Yeah. Thanks for cooking, by the way. I don't think I said that yet." 

It's another effort from the detective that seems to go a long way. The producer actually smiles at him, though it may be small it still means a lot and he knows it. "Don't thank me, I should've been cooking the whole time."

The fact his old friend might've not cooked his whole ten years here makes Mat frown, but he doesn't comment even though he itches to.  _ See? Things don't have to be weird!  _ It's a reassuring thought that runs through his head as he confidently stands before Manny, his  _ definitely only really close  _ former friend. He looks at the producer again, grimacing when his gaze lands on now familiar lips, and a memory resurfaces from it. Nonetheless, he steels himself, shoves the memory away, and meets Manny's eyes. 

And he smiles back. To show he's fine now. To thank Manny for checking on him. And, just maybe, to apologize for not remembering how deep their bond once was. 

Of course, the raven-haired man doesn't know the hidden meaning and just turns on his heels. Walking off to the kitchen with Mat at his heels. He's trying hard to not freak out still about the new information he's been given. While he's playing nice now, acting mature, he knows this problem will bother him for a long time. Yes, they were practically best friends back in the 70s, and while that's great to hear...That means Manny left someone who he was close to. Even thinking about that part of the fact makes him angry, fists clenching at his sides as he enters the kitchen. It makes forgiving the old friend even harder than before. But besides that, he takes a deep breath and tries to keep making an effort. There's a lot of things he longs to lash out at Manny for ( being so close with Alex, leaving him despite their tight bond- ) yet he knows now isn't the time. 

Besides, there's someone else here. His gaze falls on her the moment he lifts his head, the woman sitting at the counter with her bowl of roast in front of her. She seems to glare at him, still peeved from earlier, though lights up a little at the sight of Manny. There's two other chairs, all next to each other, and he thinks it's best if he sits as far away from the former troublemaker as possible. He makes a move to do so before the man next to him coughs, causing him to look back. The look he gets from the man is pleading, eyes wide with fear as he jerks his head towards the seat next to Nikita. While he could still sit furthest away from the girl and pretend he didn't get the message, he knows he'll just feel terrible about it. So he pushes forward and slides beside Nikita with a determined face. 

Nikita turns to him, voice low. "That was Manny's seat." 

"So? I don't think he cares much." Though he wants Manny to talk things through with Nikita - even if it's just for the sake of hearing more potential information - he also likes being a thorn in the woman's side. 

She opens her mouth before thinking better of it, lips curled into an ugly snarl as she turns back to her food. Manny finally sits beside Mat, a thing that shouldn't be as comforting as it was. After all, there was nowhere else to sit, but he selfishly enjoys it.

Slowly, his gaze falls down to the bowl before him, taking in the meal. You can't fuck up roast, not really; you just grab it from the store and cut some of the vegetables up and put it into the pot. Matthew takes his fork to poke at the meat curiously, a little displeased by the fact it's not super easy to cut through. It should've been cooked longer. Still, he takes a bite ( with a carrot piece as well ) and decides it's better than nothing. 

The juices explode in his mouth and he keeps going at it. A constant, repetitive process of getting a good amount of the roast on his fork before he eats it. There's no talking, which is unnerving. He doesn't look up to see if Nikita or Manny are sneaking glances at each other or worse,  _ him _ , and simply sticks to eating dinner. The silence is almost comforting in a way; it lets him sort out his thoughts some more. About Nikita and about his neverending issues with the man beside him. 

Any sound heard was the clinking of utensils hitting the bowls for the longest time. Everything around Matthew became static as he went on autopilot, content with eating all his roast as his mind aimlessly wondered about. One moment he would consider Nikita, wonder how her wedding went, and the next he would be remembering earlier; investigating that troublesome heiress. As his stomach became full from the assorted meats and vegetables, the tension in the room turned into something akin to a live wire; unpredictable but bound to cause problems. 

And cause problems this tension did. In a second, the deafening ( and in his humble opinion, comfortable ) silence was broken by the sharp words of the woman next to him. 

"Is this it? We sit here, we eat dinner, and we act like everything's fine?" 

As she speaks, Nikita lifts her head and stares right past Mat, to where Manny's sitting in his seat. The detective feels insulted that he's being ignored completely, glancing over at the former troublemaker to glare at her with his exhausted, brown eyes; still forever sharp with wit and now age. She expertly ignores him and keeps looking towards their mutual friend for an answer. Refusing to back down even under the judgemental look he's giving her. 

When he  _ does  _ finally look away, it's not because he's consciously deciding to, but because Manny awkwardly speaks up. Mat's eyebrows raise and he looks over as the producer sheepishly,  _ meekly,  _ answers. 

"Nobody's acting like anything." Manny keeps looking into his bowl, dismissing their looks completely as he plays with his food. "We're just eating dinner. Why- why can't that be enough for you?"

Growing bold, the raven-haired man finally looks up and stares right back at his old friend head on. Sure, his words waver towards the end of his sentence, clearly nervous, yet Mat respects the bravery anyway. Almost taken aback by the confrontational tone Manny wears as though it were a shield. 

Their guest, however, certainly feels differently about this. Eyes lighting up with a swirl of emotions that resembles a storm, lips curling into a deep frown as though she can't believe how she was suddenly being treated. His eyes fall to her hands uneasily, watching as she digs her nails into the surface of the counter. 

Silence settles between the two former best friends momentarily. The two staring at each other with slanting eyes and emotions pouring from their very beings. This was no longer the comfortable type of silence he always enjoyed. Instead, it was the kind that made him want to rip his graying hair out and say anything to fill it in so he would stop feeling uncomfortable in his own, tightening skin. 

So that's what he does; a hand coming up to muse at his hair while he says, without thought, "Since you two need to talk, I'll go-" 

A hand wraps around his wrist the moment he rises from his chair, startling him to rip his arm away from the table completely. But when he looks at who did it, Manny is looking at him with wide eyes; swimming with what he could only describe as anxiety. His hand midair from where he grabbed at the detective's arm prior. 

Though it takes Mat a minute to take this in, it doesn't stop Manny from blurting out, "Don't leave! You don't have to go!" 

There's more meaning in his words than that, Matthew can tell, but he's at a loss of what to say. Only managing to look at his old friend ( old crush more like ) for a moment before he tears his gaze away, shuffling his feet. Saying nothing only leaves Nikita room to respond, however. 

"Oh, give me a fucking break!" She snaps, looking between the two of them with pure distaste before she settles her sights back on her priority. "Why is it so hard to face me, Manny? Is it because I won't let you rot in your apartment? Because I know something's wrong?"

Her venomous words hold care in them, and yet the tone is all off. She strikes a nerve with what she says, Manny noticeably tensing up as his glare becomes harsher. The record producer looks pissed, a dark look falling over his eyes as he curls his hand into a fist on the table. It's a warning sign to Mat, if anything, though it's as if this is the state the girl wants him in. Seeing as she smiles bitterly, a laugh bubbling from her tightening throat. 

"That's it, isn't it? Really?" 

"Drop it," Manny replies, voice firm. "I don't want to talk about this anymore," And then, a sliver of their friend comes back as his tone softens when he says, "Please, Nikita."

Hearing his friend plead like that lights a fire in himself, a protective, overwhelming urge. Some sane part of him mentions that the former troublemaker has the right to be upset, and then another part of Mat ( a part he doesn't quite get ) snaps  _ to hell with her!  _

He whirls his head around towards the girl, "Well, you heard him; better drop it."

Despite his best efforts to disguise his words as light-hearted, he hears the warning in his own tone. Completely shocked by how easily it slipped in there, and how serious he sounds. His intent never matched anything that came out of his mouth, huh? Embarrassed by the looks on both of their faces, Mat settles for coughing into his fist and stepping further away from the table. Putting purposeful distance there to ensure he doesn't open his foolish mouth again. 

Ultimately (and thankfully for his sake ) his words are ignored, as if taken with a grain of salt. Nikita simply turns back to Manny and softens for a long moment, as if submitting to his pleas- but nothing is ever easy when friends fight, and she's quick to harden herself again much to Mat's dismay. 

With a trembling voice, she says, "You know I can't, not anymore. Hate me all you want, but you aren't okay! You  _ need  _ to see that!"

As wrong as it is, curiosity fills him to the very brim at the topic of the producer's mental health once more. An itch he can't seem to scratch because he wants to know himself why the other seemed so miserable and unwell all the time. The previous life that was in him from Everlock was vacant in Manny now, mostly anyway- it seemed to return in small doses, but for the most part, the man looked withdrawn. Why? While he still wants to bare his teeth at Nikita for the sole sake of lightening the load on Manny, he doesn't think this talk is necessarily a bad idea. And he's happy he's here to hear it. 

The object of this new discussion simply shrugs his shoulders, "I don't see what you mean. I'm fine!" Manny shakes his hands to emphasize his point. 

_ Not very convincing,  _ the detective winces. 

"If you were fine, you wouldn't ignore my calls. If you were  _ totally mentally stable,  _ I wouldn't hear from others that you spend weeks locked in here, wasting away!" 

Eyes widening, he swears he feels his own breath catch in his throat. But Nikita isn't done, not when she's stalking forward towards Manny and suddenly shoving her finger in his chest. All while he stares down at her, looking completely torn and damaged. 

"Normal people don't have some sketchy guy show up at their house and demand 'payment'." She hisses, "And they certainly don't purposely sabotage their relationships with people who try and care by hiding away and lying."

Manny remains quiet, slowly pulling himself back together as he masters a neutral look- clearly used to wearing a mask, now that Mat thinks about it. The former troublemaker is right in his face, yet he remains calm. Had he always been good at acting? The detective can't recall, but the whole thing rubs him the wrong way as he watches it unfold. Feeling suffocated by the tension weighing them all down. 

All he knows is that this certainly isn't the record producer he's been dealing with. For most of his time here, Manny's been nothing but engaging and friendly. There have been red flags, sure, but this was something else. Mat barely recognized his friend as he stared back with blank eyes. 

Manny was known to withdraw when upset, he tries to remind himself; as if that excuses his cold behavior. 

After a moment, Nikita pulls back with a scoff. "You  _ asshole-"  _ her voice breaks, tears noticeably swelling in her eyes, "Fuck you. I'm done."

The finality in her words shakes Mat, and even Manny seems to startle at them. Finally showing an ounce of emotion on his face yet again; a painful imagery of pure hurt.

Once again he tries to speak, though his tongue feels like cotton in his mouth. "Nikita…" It occurs to him then that he doesn't know what to say besides the whisper of her name. 

What could he say?  _ Don't be mean?  _ Or even,  _ don't say that?  _ Mat closes his eyes at his pathetic attempt and leaves it at that. Nikita seems to leave it alone too. Maybe she didn't know what to say to him either. After all, this wasn't his business; his burden to carry. Yet when he looks at how frozen up Manny is, he feels like it  _ is  _ his business. Despite the fact he still can't forgive the man for leaving him, and even despite the fact Manny's friends with his main suspect; he still finds himself wanting to share this sudden load.

"I can't help you if you don't want to be helped, baby." These words are gentler than the rest, but Nikita doesn't take back any of her statements. 

It's final then. The former troublemaker breathes in before she walks away from the two of them. They both hear the rustle of keys as she grabs her purse, slinging it over her shoulder. He isn't expecting Nikita to poke her head back into the kitchen and for her eyes to fall on him. Instinctively, he stiffens in place. 

She looks him over, judgement radiating off of her, before finally, "Good luck, Mat." 

Just like that, she ducks back out of the kitchen and the slam of the front door follows soon after. The sound doesn't make him nor Manny move from their places, as if time isn't even moving for either of them. For a brief period, the detective takes the time to think about how wild California was. Every day felt like a whirlwind, it was nothing like Everlock's mundane, boring days that passed by in a flash.  _ Dragging  _ was a more appropriate term for days here. There were moments in his life where he thought a day wouldn't ever end, and today felt like one of those days. 

Learning valuable information for the case seems like days ago now. And he finds himself asking  _ where did everything go wrong today?  _ Yet the answer's there the moment he thinks of it; recalling the tape he heard in his car only prior to being exposed to Nikita's presence. That's when his day started to go downhill. After such a good last night too… Disappointment eats him alive the more his brain buzzes with thoughts. 

All it takes, though, is hearing the sound of sniffling to get him out of his head. Brown eyes find the familiar form of his friend, though he almost wishes he hadn't when he sees the state Manny's in. 

The producer has stumbled back to his seat, slouching in it as he covers his face with his hands. What gets to the detective isn't that, but the shaking of his larger form; and while it's clear the producer isn't quite crying- it doesn't mean he's any less distressed. Mat's head is swirling with the show he witnessed; occupied with the talk of a  _ man demanding money _ . As much as he wants to sit in this new information and understand, he's walking over to Manny before he knows it and placing a hand on his shoulder. 

Touching the other was simple now, for the most part. The boundary between them wasn't broken, not exactly, but they were getting there. 

Sure, Matthew might be angry at Manny over Alex, and over everything he keeps learning- but some of their improvement stays. Stable, despite under the strain of everything else. 

His touch startles his friend, causing Manny to jerk away from him, swatting his hand away. The first thing Mat notices are his flushed cheeks and while there are tears in his green eyes, he hasn't cried yet. Realizing he's embarrassed, the detective raises his hands and averts his eyes politely. Nikita broke his heart just now, and he's unsure how to feel about that fact. His lips twitch because he wants to storm outside to give her a piece of his troubled mind. 

"You…. Okay?" He's cautious with asking, trying to seem as casual as possible. The urge to fuss over the man makes him want to do anything but, yet he holds out. 

Manny wipes at his eyes, no tears getting the chance to slide down his glowing cheeks. "I'm whatever." 

The curt tone almost makes the detective flinch, finding it unfair that Manny's treating him so roughly right when Mat's tried to change his tune. It's nothing short of deserving, he knows that. Nonetheless, he loathes it and wants it to cease. 

Mindlessly he kicks at the floor, deciding then and there that he must press the topic. "Listen, about Nikita-"

Stormy, dark eyes glare at him when the name leaves his mouth. Making him clamp his jaw shut immediately because that look wasn't natural on his friend's face. He's seen Manny mad before, however, this was something different. There's genuine hate there where there wasn't before, making the brown-haired boy retreat back within himself like a scolded child. This wasn't good, was it? 

"You don't get to judge me, Matthew." He snaps, his tone radiating no-nonsense. "It's- staying in touch is hard! And you don't get to judge me for it."

A certain letter swirls in his mind, remembering that yes, while Manny may be bad at keeping in touch, at least he made an effort. He bites the inside of his cheek, more than a little wounded by the harsh words aimed in his direction. It's hard to admit to himself that he dislikes Manny...well,  _ not liking him.  _ How ironic is that? His own hypocrisy makes him heavy with shame; because what gave him the right to be mean with Manny, yet refused the man the right to do the same to him? Maybe the only good thing to come out of this would be the new perspective it was giving him. 

For a long moment they remain in the kitchen, both oddly silent as they let everything settle. The desire to be vulnerable makes him queasy, it always has, and there's anxiety-induced fear coming with it this time around. Once again, though, his eyes take Manny in and wince at his state. Seeing him so upset doesn't settle well with Mat, not when he isn't the cause of it. So he takes in a deep breath, before trying to connect with his former friend. Their bond was deep once ( he knows this now ) which means, surely, they can reconnect and be half as close once more? 

"I get it, I'm not judging you, Manny, I'd never…" He swallows thickly, throat tightening as his nerves start to get the better of him. "If it helps, I haven't talked to our old friends in a long time."

That gets his attention. Slowly, Manny glances up at him, eyes raking over him curiously. The attention makes him smile awkwardly, even if he keeps his gaze anywhere else. It makes him uncomfortable to feel analyzed by anyone, probably due to his detective nature, but he likes the attention too. At least from Manny. There's no signal for him to continue from the man, yet he feels the courage to continue. He's getting to him, catching his interest- so he has to keep it. 

Fiddling with his hands he goes on, "People wrote to me, for  _ years."  _ A hurt look crosses over his friend's face at that, "And I just ignored them all. The pictures they'd send. I even burned them sometimes, when I was really upset."

He also did it when his heater wouldn't work in the winter and he was too lazy to do anything about it, though Manny doesn't need to know that. Usually it was his anger. Mat would receive things that would remind him of things he wanted to keep forgetting ( like his dynamic with Manny apparently ) and he would lash out at the items, tearing papers and pictures apart before he burned the evidence. Not something a healthy person would do, he's starting to realize. As he finally glances at Manny though, he realizes that perhaps it's okay to admit he's not okay. 

Seems like his friend was in the same boat as him anyhow.  _ There would be little judgement here,  _ he concludes; relieved. 

"Rosanna had a wedding, did you know that? Married to some Frenchman in Paris?" 

Manny nods, and as he opens his mouth to continue, he's surprised when the record producer speaks up. Voice relatively quiet. "I got the invite." Before he looks guilty and adds, "I made the choice to stay home."

Without knowing, Manny hurts him with those words. He sucks in a sharp breath, like he had been stabbed, and stammers out, "She didn't invite me.  _ Me,  _ someone she used to see as her brother- all she did was send me a letter after saying she didn't want to bother me with it."

Realization dawns on the other man's face, the pity settling in as quickly as the news does. Matthew didn't blame Ro for this; no matter what he would always love her, yet it still hurt to this day. She was used to hearing from the others that he completely shut everyone out, never replied, never called- that she chose whether he would attend or not for him. Perhaps she was saving herself the heartbreak of him not answering, which was understandable. If he was back in Everlock, he would've lied to himself, saying that he would have responded to her. 

All this time with Manny made him realize otherwise. He would've ignored it. Like the rest. The detective wasn't good with confrontation and looking into his past because he couldn't stand the pain of nostalgia. Something he still can't stand. Her invite would've been thrown away. 

The point of this isn't to be a sob story, instead it was said with the intent to connect to Manny. His arms wrap around his stomach ( not his chest for once ) to try and beat back the anxiety wiggling within him as his friend takes everything in. The waiting is torture, and he wants to say something mean because he's scared.

His mouth remains shut.

"Did you…. Did you have friends anymore? Back in Everlock?" Manny avoids the Ro topic out of politeness, he notices. 

Tensing, the detective closes his eyes at the pain of it all before responding, "Mortimer. Cindy. A fellow officer."

A noise leaves the producer at that, full of his sympathy. "Small group."

"I mostly kept myself company for ten years."

This fact doesn't shock Manny as much as the Rosanna-related one did. He simply blinks at Mat, tilting his head as if to try and see all of him. It's that very look that makes him move his folded arms from his stomach to his chest, to try and shield himself. Pointedly turning his chin to the side to show he didn't like  _ this  _ new look he was receiving. Said burning gaze lingers on him for a few more moments before finally leaving him alone. Soft tapping ( brought by Manny's fingers hitting the counter ) being the only indication his friend was still in here with him. 

Thinking the conversation is over, a huff leaves him as he spins around on his heels. Coming to the conclusion that leaving the other man to his own devices would be the best option. 

"I'm sorry." 

Freezing at the doorway, his hand grips the wall there. Eyes widening at the apology he never expected to get, despite Manny telling him those words years ago. Awkwardly, he looks back over his shoulder at the man at the counter; who is now taking a page from Mat's book on avoiding gazes. There isn't an explanation, but he knows what the apology is for. What did Manny expect him to say? That it's fine? That he's okay with the choice the producer made? 

No matter how much he regrows to Manny's side, he can't forgive that. Never. There's no amount of therapy in the world that could make him reach the state of forgiveness for that. 

Instead, he gives the man a soft hum. To let him know he heard it at the very least. Offering nothing else besides that noise. 

Apparently, Manny wasn't looking for his acceptance. Broad shoulders sink down once more, turning to look at Mat again with a weak smile. Somehow, the detective returns it back out of simple courtesy. Both of their facial expressions are strained to the point of obviousness. Eyes a little more than red and tired. But they're trying. It's more progress than they've had in a while. 

"Hey, I know it's sudden, but I was actually gonna head into work tonight. And I wanted to ask if, uh, you wanted to come with?" 

Hearing Manny laugh because he feels weird asking makes him relax even more, "To the recording studio?" 

Belittling his friend because of his state seemed like a bad idea. Obviously, the producer wasn't sick, that much he now knew. And besides, this could be a good opportunity for him to get answers now that the barrier between them is lowered a tad. 

( A horrible way to think, though detectives are taught to be opportunists ) 

Realizing that Mat was taking the bait, a brilliant  _ genuine  _ grin stretches across Manny's face. "Yeah, where else? Does this mean you're in?"

He shakes his head even though a fond smile comes upon his own face, worn with age and exhaustion. It's clearly a good look on him since Manny preens underneath the pleased look the detective gives him. 

"I don't have plans, so why not?" Remembering the cassette was in his car, he runs a hand through his brown hair to muse it to calm his nerves. "Can we take my car, though? I could take out some steam by driving."

Anxiety leaves him with ease when Manny sees nothing suspicious about that. He trusts Matthew so much, he understands this now with such clarity. Ten years of distance between them and a bucket load of tension, yet there's nothing but trust in those emerald eyes as he smiles at the detective. It causes some guilt to stir up, nipping at his heart- as always though, he logics it all away. Manny could trust him, after all. Nothing that he would do during this case should break his friend's trust in him. 

_ Even recording him without his permission for confessions?  _ His brain unhelpfully asks him. 

"Yeah, sure, anything as long as you keep me company."

A clench in his heart forms from the words. Mat rubs the area where he feels the beating of the organ, watching warily as the record producer gets up to ready himself for the night shift. An ache wells up in his chest and he's pretty sure nothing can be done about it. All he could do now was focus on the case, the overall goal. As soon as they made it to the studio, the detective would get started on finding out who the man was that Nikita mentioned. 

Alone in the kitchen ( Manny getting changed away from his line of sight ), Matthew Patrick is forced to listen to his noisy head once more. For better or for worse. 

  
  



	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After the long wait of the last one, i decided to make this chapter twice as fast to thank you all for the patience!   
> Leave any thoughts in the comments and i'll be sure to see you guys for ch10 ! Whenever i get around to writing it <3

Though Detective Patrick knew the  _ damning  _ tape was safe in his glove box ( with the letter from Manny no less ), he still made quick work of entering his car first. Settling in the driver's seat for the second time today before he slips a blank tape in his pocket, along with making sure the cassette player was still in there as well. Next comes discarding the basket of tapes to the backseat, before triple checking that the glove department was closed. He even goes as far as to use his key to lock it. Manny finding the tape was the last thing he needed right now, even if the thought of said tape makes his fingers clench around the wheel until his knuckles burn white. 

At the reminder of the evidence, his mood sours as he waits for Manny to lock up his house and join him in the car. Mat thinks about the man Nikita mentioned again, toying with the idea that maybe the stranger had been Alex. Soon enough, he smoothly concludes that can't be the case, since said man had demanded the money. And he might be in the dark here about the relationship his friend had with Alex ( a thought that makes his stomach flip ) but he can at least tell from the tape it was nothing short of loving. If Alex wanted money, he wouldn't demand it, and he probably wouldn't even ask Manny at all. A bold claim to come to, yet it sits with him firmly. 

The moment Manny slides into the passenger seat he starts the engine with a sharp turn with his wrist. Caught up in starting his vehicle, the smaller man fails to notice the tender look in those green eyes as the producer takes in where he is. It's complete silence ( besides the buzzing of his engine working overdrive ) until he pulls out of the driveway, which makes his company speak up. 

"It's been a while since I've been in your car," Manny sure looks happier now that he's in it, "I mean, I knew you still had it. I see it in my driveway obviously, but being in it…"

There's such awe in his voice that it almost reads as fondness, though Mat tries to keep his focus on the road. At first, he falls into silence, unsure of what to say to that, before he finds something to relate to the topic. He tries to tell himself that the only reason he's bothering to make conversation is because Manny's hurting still, no matter how well he's trying to hide it. 

Sucking in a breath, he says, "That's how I felt in your van. Can't believe we both still have the same pieces of junk after all these years."

_ What a coincidence,  _ Mat itches to say,  _ that we kept that from the past but not each other.  _ Which seems like fighting words, or words that would encourage to reopen wounds, so he keeps his thoughts to himself. Unsure where they came from in the first place. The words he did say, however, make his friend laugh and shake his head ruefully with a smile on his face. He seems better, any sign of puffiness wiped away and some light foundation covering the shadows underneath his eyes. Other than the light makeup, there's no special effects on his face— and that's how Mat knows the blow-up is still upsetting the man. 

Awkwardly, he tries to bring it up; blaming  _ this  _ on his own nosy nature. "No hotshot superstar waiting for you at the studio I'm guessing?" When he's given a look, he adds, "You didn't add much pizzazz to your makeup, is all."

"Pizzazz, really?" Apparently, that word choice makes Manny laugh. 

"What? It's a word, isn't it?" 

He's rewarded another giggle, "I  _ doubt  _ it's an official word! Shouldn't you know? You're a walking dictionary!"

Rolling his eyes ( which makes him realize he's not wearing any sunglasses, oh well ) Mat decides to call him out, "You're dodging the question."

After all Nikita said, his brain has been analyzing everything he knew about Manny Gutierrez. And he's slowly been connecting the dots that the former troublemaker connected ages ago. Hiding,  _ acting,  _ was like second nature to the producer. From acting like he's fine when he isn't, pretending he's sick as an excuse, to…. Who knows what else? Point is, he's recognizing the signs now that it's been shoved in his face. How he didn't see it sooner is beyond him, but the important thing is that he knows now. 

And this right here, this banter that made him relax into his seat? Was another ploy Manny was using to avoid saying why he didn't try harder with his make-up, or what he would do at his studio. Matthew feels disappointed that he can't even be trusted with basic knowledge. Doesn't the producer know Mat can tell he isn't fine? 

Taking the serious road makes his friend withdraw from him. Instead of leaning close to the driver's seat like earlier, Manny now presses his whole shoulder against his door. If he wasn't so used to feeling like the bad guy, Matthew admits he would've caved here; would shift the topic again for Manny's comfort. Yet there's a case surrounding the man that he's taking seriously, and he— he kinda cares and feels like he's owed some truth here. This makes him remain silent until he's answered. Which is exactly why he receives one the moment Manny realizes he can't outwait the detective's silence. 

"Uh, yeah. I mostly didn't feel motivated to put any sparkle to my look, but I'm not meeting anyone at the studio either. Good guess."

His tone is so flat it makes Mat's lips tug into a frown; knowing that he brought down Manny's mood isn't a victory for him during this moment. Maybe yesterday he would've relished in making the other hurt, but Nikita did enough damage already and he's trying to pick up some of the pieces. Since he got the truth in return, Mat bestows Manny mercy and keeps quiet. Deciding that the producer was probably dreading whatever else that might come out of his mouth. Focusing on the road again isn't easy when he feels the tension in the car again. In a burst of frustration, he debates on why he isn't good enough until he drops the topic completely, realizing it's not just about him. 

Even if it would be so much simpler if it was. 

Driving in Los Angeles when the sun dips down below the city buildings is easier than in the daytime. Everything's less crowded on the streets and he doesn't spot many out on the sidewalks, such a sight reminding him of his arrival here. The neon lights that flash on the buildings make him miss home more than anything else, causing him to strictly stare at the road again. Doing so doesn't shake the homesickness clinging to him, but it eases it. 

_ Everlocks prettier _ , he reminds himself as he cruises along the roads, listening to Manny's quiet directions. 

* * *

A tall building looms over the abandoned parking lot he pulls into; impressed that there even was a  _ lot  _ to begin with. Most places here were so crammed between each other that cars littered the sides of the streets, leaving anxiety to cling to any sane driver as they tried to park between clamped cars. To see a place for parking and to park in it makes him realize how much of a big deal his friend is in this stardom-ridden city. 

Manny exits the car with grace, not sparing a look at the building as he gets out and slams the door behind him. Ignoring the producer's obvious attitude with him, he tries to take in the building from his windshield. Leaning closer to the dash to get a better look. 

It's familiar in structure to the one in Everlock, an undeniable fact that makes his heart twist. The only difference is the shiner, polished look to it. Back in his town, the building there looked well used, with dirty doormats and lingering specks of germs covering the surface of the painted walls. Maybe it wasn't the most pretty or sanitary, but it had seemed homely almost. 

_ Which _ , he guesses,  _ wasn't what a building in bustling LA should look like.  _ Any idea of home seemed lost on this city, everything was so impersonal and barren of life besides flashy, neon signs and discount deals. How could anyone feel at home here-?

A knock startles him out of his thoughts, wrenching backward until his back hits the driver's seat as his eyes wildly dash to the door. Eyes peer in at him, Manny's face distorted by the mirror. Realizing he's wasted enough time, his hands fumble for his belt and he gets out. With less grace than Manny does, or at least that's how he views it.

"You don't like it." The record producer says immediately, looking away to stare at his building. It's not phrased like a question. 

Mat knows this is the man's pride and joy, yet he can't bring himself to lie about this. "N-not really, uh, no."

Though he sounds less confident about his answer than he should, his words are taken as truth given the way Manny winces at them. Of course, Matthew Patrick found himself in the wrong again at every turn; the fact of this sitting uncomfortably with him as the producer turns away and walks towards the building. Trying to resist the urge to retreat and lick his wounds, the detective breathes in, readies himself, and follows after the man. Even if this experience wasn't going to be as pleasurable as he hoped, there was still information at stake that he had to gain. 

The only thing that manages to get his mood to lighten up through all this muck is when Manny still holds the door open for him. It's such a gentleman's move that the corner of Mat's lips twitches up into a ghost of a smile, thanking him as he shoulders by the step in. At least when his friend was upset, he never turned into a complete pain to handle. To show his thanks, he presses his hand against the glass door in return to usher Manny in, who looks unimpressed by the ordeal- sending him a glance as he steps inside. 

A lot of emotions swarm the detective while he follows the other deeper into the studio, but he tries to cling to the hope blooming inside him. Manny was understandably upset about the Nikita thing, he wasn't necessarily mad at him, and the producer required his company. Why else would he be offered to come along? Getting information out of his friend will be easy, if Mat plays his cards right and coaxes him to feel better ( or as better as he can feel ) again. Something that was required for the case, and maybe something that he felt the need to do for someone he was reconsidering over and over again. 

Not like he'd admit that. While he was clawing his way to forming a borderline peaceful relationship with Manny, there was a stubborn mule in him that refused to admit he wanted to care for the other. Whether it was from his need to protect himself, or from his wariness he still felt over the whole  _ thing  _ they had before, he's uncertain. 

Pictures hang on the walls that he bothers to glance at from the corner of his eyes. Taking in the faces of multiple bright-eyed, grinning beauties that stand with a vinyl in their hand. Manny doesn't seem to appear in any of these pictures, even if his name seems scribbled on the covers of these said labels. He frowns at what he sees, once again unimpressed by all this show and tell, though it doesn't matter much anyway the moment they enter the lobby. It's definitely bigger inside than the old building was, a fact Mat takes in with raised eyebrows. Nervously, his hand cups over his badge on his belt when he glances about. The emptiness of the room makes him nervous. 

Sensing this, Manny reaches out and touches his shoulder briefly. "Don't act like you aren't used to empty lobbies." He hums, tenderness woven into his tone, "you've been here, or somewhere like here, before."

"Sure, but-" Mat squirms, which gives Manny enough of a signal to drop his hand. Remembering the studio in Everlock, now long abandoned, makes his throat close up. "The lobby there was smaller, this is different."

It's not just the mention of the studio that makes him feel small, but the way Manny had softened so fast when he noticed Mat's discomfort. How Manny turned fond and even hinted at old memories together. Feeling overwhelmed, the brown-haired man ducks his head to stare at his shoes. Fighting back the dull remembrance that comes up; images filling his brain of slipping into a dim-lit building to give his local producer a coffee. To lounge around and offer his undivided company. Sucking in a breath at how he had  _ forgotten  _ all of that. 

When Manny pushes forward and rings the small bell at the desk, his words rush out of him, "How many times did we do that? Sit there and do nothing?" 

All of this is to get Manny to relax, to see that he's trying so it's easier to wiggle in later about this mystery man. So he tells himself. 

"God, feels like it happened a thousand times, don't it?" A shy look sent Mat's way, vulnerable and small. Though that's all he says before he turns back to the desk with a deep breath. 

But he sees the cracks in his mood and knows he's doing good suddenly. Having the upper hand after fucking up ever since the Nikita fight makes him almost dizzy with happiness, a grin stretched out on his face. For once, the tides seemed in his favor. Such a change of pace made him wonder if this was due to the fact he had a goal here that required perfectionism to actually achieve. As if reminded, the cassette player in his pocket suddenly feels heavier. Nonetheless, the detective reminds himself to rethank Matt Haag once more for helping him realize he needs to reel in his emotions; as well as his past self for being familiar with Manny's mood. It's easier to get close and comfort when he's done it before after all. 

( Chocolate suddenly hits his tongue, another sense brought on by a memory )

Before he can get impatient, a girl barrels into the lobby; ginger hair pulled into a frazzled ponytail. The moment her bright eyes land on Manny, her colored lips pull back to reveal a sharp grin that puts Mat on edge.

"Manny! Here to wrap up?" It's when he hears her shrill voice that Matthew does a double-take, paling when he slowly starts to recognize her. 

A laugh is her response, "Someone has to clean off the record table and finish covering the vinyls."

Realizing he's been left out, Manny pointedly jerks his head towards the detective; causing the girl's eyes to follow until they land on him. He stiffens in place as she gasps dramatically, eyebrows rising to her bangs. They both stare at each other with shocked looks, all while the producer genuinely looks amused by all this.  _ What? Forgot about losing Nikita already?  _ Mat barely keeps that down, more than a little annoyed at another situation being sprung on him again. 

"Detective Dick?" She asks incredulously, blinking rapidly before she rubs at her eyes. 

_ How cute,  _ Mat rolls his eyes despite lacking the glasses to hide this act. "It's still Detective Patrick, Lucy."

She purses her lips, looking up at Manny, "That's what I said!"

Gritting his teeth, Matthew refuses to respond. Simply tapping at the surface of his badge to ground himself from another revelation he wasn't expecting. Was he going to see Joey next? Because if he saw a hint of the white-haired wonder, he was going to lose it on Manny for it. There were reminders of home everywhere today, it seemed, and he feels sick from it all. As if his longing for home wasn't bad enough, he had to be reminded of it at every turn. Especially in the past when things had been so simple. 

Lucy Gale wasn't his least favorite person by any means, though he regards her with heavy distaste as Manny and she engages in business talk. He almost didn't recognize her from how mature she seems now, with her nude makeup and professional outfit she actually fit with her form. There were hints at the old person he knew on her- said frizzy, barley contained red hair was evidence of this, but so much has changed. 

Remembering her foul nickname, he's sad to see none of that change was put into her personality, however. 

She's still Manny's assistant, despite all these years. Such a notion makes him shake his head because he really can't believe it. Manny left way before Lucy ever did, he remembers this vividly because he had to constantly arrest her for disturbing the peace in Everlock. Dressed in her cheer jacket and leaning over to show him her ass anytime he warned her to stop, before laughing loudly when he was forced to give chase. Waving her bat around like she would use it against him. Through countless arrests, he grew resentment towards her for making his already miserable life a nightmare after he was left behind. Sometimes, she'd mock him from her cell. 

Then one day, she took her hound and left. It was the one departure he almost celebrated, if he had anyone to do that with. 

And here's where she ran off to, back to Manny. What he saw in the unpleasant girl, he had no clue- and he didn't plan on sticking his nose around to find out about that. 

It's why his stomach sinks when Manny looks his way, pointing lazily at him. Oh no. God, please no. When she smiles his way, he just knows that he's about to get left with her. This is only confirmed when his friend shuffles close to him again, looking sheepish when he notices Mat's agitated look. 

"Can you wait here for a sec? I need to make sure the studio's in order."

His eyes narrow at this, "Why can't I come with? I could help!"

Mat's quickly shut down, "No, no, no! I gotta make sure there are no legal contracts out for starters, and I don't want your first impression of my space to be worse than it is…" 

That's amusing to the detective, since Manny had been so adamant about helping with his case back when he first arrived. There's something suspicious about this all, with the producer making Lucy keep an eye on him while he shuffles away to his space…But the last part of his reasoning gets him, causing Matthew to feel his cheeks burn with shame at the slight jab. His kindness outweighs his curiosity, and he tries to comfort himself with the fact Manny wouldn't invite him if he had something to hide. 

This still does little to comfort him. Especially when his mind races with the name  _ Alex, Alex, Alex-  _ along with Nikita standing up and snarling about some stranger who wants Manny's money. 

"Well? Go on then, big guy. I'll just… wait here for you." He takes this in stride, yet he's sure Manny catches the horror on his face. 

The producer nods, at least looking sympathetic. "I'll be back before you know it." 

Raising his hand, Mat awaits for Manny to reach out and touch his shoulder again. The touch alone was something he felt eager for and content with, because it kept reminding him  _ you crossed the distance, this is what you did.  _ And shoulder touches were safe, friendly even, there was nothing wrong with liking them after he's been angry at Manny for so long for holding back. But the touch doesn't come, something he notices immediately with an appalled look. The producer simply glances at Lucy before he lets his hand fall back to his side (  _ too  _ fucking similar to his behavior days prior for Mat's liking ) before he smiles and heads down the hall. 

Even though he was left untouched, his shoulder feels burnt. Making him roll it with a grimace. Trying desperately to ignore the woman staring straight through him from where she leans on the flat, shiny surface of the lobby table. Keeping his face angled away from her doesn't seem to help him any, since he feels her eyes on him. Lucy was baiting him, he knows, but his patience thins after a solid minute and he's caught on her wicked hook. 

"Guess you still haven't learned basic manners," he snaps, his neck flushing with his anger. 

Usually his cheeks were the only part of his body that would flare up whenever he felt strongly. Though there was the occasion where certain people, particularly ones who got under his skin, could make his whole body go loverboy red- sadly, Manny's prized assistant was one of those people.

Her giggling makes him scowl, "Nice to see you too, dee-tec-tive! Been a while, huh?" 

_ Not long enough, _ he believes wholeheartedly. Going the rest of his life without dealing with her juvenile behavior would barely be enough. Repenting ( mostly because he knows it's useless ) he lets his chin turn towards her, finally facing the woman head-on. Watching as her short fingers pull at her ponytail with disinterest that he couldn't fake if he tried. That is until he realizes she still has her nervous tick; back in the carnival town, she would always tug at her pigtails when she was controlling herself. She's doing the same now, which makes him straighten his posture- suddenly very interested.

Smirking slightly, he drawls out, "Oh, you must've missed me something fierce, seeing as you're bursting at the seams to say something." Confidently, he walks right up to the desk, making her lean away from him. 

Pointedly, he glances down at her feet, seeing that she's rocking on them. Another tick. When he looks up, still looking smug, a flash of anger crosses the woman's face before she smooths it out with a pout. Sometimes, the most active people were the easiest to figure out. 

"Awwww, you caught me already? You're no fun, as  _ always!"  _ Lucy sticks her tongue out at him, blowing it. Now that was rude, his hands reach up to block his face from the spit that occurs from the raspberry blow she gives him. 

Wiping his palms off on his shirt, Mat makes sure to give her his most disgusted look possible. She only laughs again, taking no offense to it. Another thing that got to him was her uncaring nature, how nothing ever bothered her or got under her skin. The detective was the exact opposite, sensitive to a fault and always trying to please the public. Lucy simply didn't care about that, and he heavily disliked it. Loathed it because he hated that he couldn't be the same. 

The assistant folds her arms on the surface and leans forward again, chest pressed firmly against the table as she looks up at him; biting her bottom lip in her excitement. And it finally spills over. 

"Lemme guess, you're here to fill in the gaps for the murder cases? Oh, oh! No, you're here because Manny finally sent you those  _ stupid  _ letters-"

Letters make him pause, but it's the mention of murder that makes his throat constrict. "Murder cases? Lucy, what-"

Waving her hands wildly in the air, Lucy pushes on, "So you know about how the police are in shambles and Manny doesn't want to, well, continue the whole living thing, right? Has he even mentioned the one toxic celebrity who keeps pushing him to-"

"Can you give me a damn minute?!" 

His voice raises in volume, booming in the empty lobby that finally gets the woman to shut her mouth. She makes the gesture of zipping her lips together, giving a thumbs up to confirm this. All the information Lucy spilled at his feet overwhelms him, causing him to swallow thickly and pinch the bridge of his nose as he digests everything. There's a cold feeling encasing his heart at the idea of Manny being….

He can't stomach the thought, he'll deal with that ( and with these apparent letters and toxic celebrities ) later, so he instead focuses on the murder cases. When have there been murders recently? Jason,  _ Chief Parker,  _ hasn't mentioned anything about murders. Just the theft that occurred with those miscellaneous stolen items. 

Exhaling, brown eyes look the guilty looking Lucy over. "What were you saying about murder cases?"

"I-" She shudders and cups her own, heavily blushed cheeks, shaking her head. "If you don't know already, then it's not as important as I thought!"

Confused, his eyebrows pinch together, his frown deepening on his face. Now, this he didn't like at all. It felt like she was backtracking, or that she had said too much. His gut said this reeked of funny business, encouraging him to get close to her face to intimidate her. Their noses brush and he can see she wants to scramble away from the way her glossy eyes widen, but she tries to stand her ground. Peering down, he notices the way her body seems to be shaking slightly. There's nothing to be proud of from scaring Lucy it makes him feel sick, yet he can't let this information slip from his grasp. This was his  _ big break  _ and he would get to the bottom of things, for himself and to clear Manny of any suspicion. 

Pushing forward, he whispers, "If you know anything, you need to-"

"I'm back!"

Hearing the familiar voice, both parties leap back from one another. Lucy hits the next side of the desk with a gasp while Mat almost falls on his ass from scrambling on his feet. With an aching ribcage ( brought on by the rapid beating of his heart ) he whirls his head around to stare at a bewildered Manny. He looks back and forth between the two of them with confused eyes and an open mouth. There's a moment where his eyes darken with clarity and he looks squarely at Lucy, clenching his jaw as his cheeks flush; before the moment's gone as quickly as it appeared. 

The producer's face evens out again, any threatening or angry look disappearing when he chuckles awkwardly. "Was I interrupting something?"

Groaning, the detective drags a hand over his face. "That's not even funny."

"Never, Manny!" Pulled back together, Lucy snickers and bounces on her heels with a clap. 

At least the reassurance makes Manny's shoulders fall, looking content with the answers even with the skeptical look glimmering in his eyes. Mat doesn't typically shrink under anyone's gaze unless they are highly intimidating or a higher up, though he finds himself doing so at his friend's look. So much for all that detective training; why did it always crumble around him? Paying no mind to that thought for now ( a lot of things crumble around Manny ) he walks over to the other male and peers over his shoulder. Hearing his unasked question, the raven-haired male huffs before extending an arm out, gesturing down the hallway. 

"If you would follow me…"

Throwing one last look over his shoulder at Lucy, he nods firmly and says, "After you."

* * *

Apparently, the rather long hallway only leads to where Manny mainly works, and the room is pretty stuffy. There's a desk in the corner with folders scattered about ( reminds him of his own desk, he realizes fondly ) and then the music booth in the middle. With the glass separating the producer from whatever wayward singers that found themselves performing on the other side. Honestly, Matthew would never understand all the complex terms for this stuff that rolled off of his friend's tongue, but he's always admired the man's passion for music. He finds himself wondering again, because surely he's wondered before, if Manny could sing. 

There are record labels pressed neatly into expensive glass frames all over the walls that he takes the time to admire, while Manny fusses over the gazillion buttons on his weird sound, music booth thing. Resetting the settings for fresh singers tomorrow, was his guess. Every so often he sneaks a glance the man's way, trying to gauge if he was feeling better from earlier. From what he sees, Manny doesn't seem annoyed at him any longer- which is all he wants. 

Striding about the cramped room, the detective finds himself in front of the glass. He peers into the room from a reasonable distance so he doesn't smear or fog the glass, noticing that he can't see much when it's completely dark in the other room. 

Mistaking his curiosity as interest, Manny coos at him, "Does Matthew Patrick wanna sing for me?"

Immediately flustered, he pulls away from the glass with a snort. Sending a sharp glare his friend's way despite the fact he's obediently moved away from the mirror at his light teasing. He thinks of saying  _ you wish,  _ or I've _ never tried my hand at singing before;  _ though he swallows the words back. Not bothering to dignify Manny with a response to such lighthearted teasing that didn't get in his head. If a reaction was what the younger male wanted, he'd have to work harder than that. 

Manny doesn't push it further. Simply lowering his head back to the board and fiddling with it again. There are still no rings on his fingers.

After a while, he takes his gaze away from the sight of his friend's skill to try and entertain himself once more. He pats at his pocket absentmindedly and tries to keep his breathing steady when he slips his hand into the pocket. Feeling the coolness of the steel with his twitchy fingers. Even being shoved into his stuffy pocket didn't warm it up, figures. While the detective in him wants to get this done as quickly as possible, the part of him that's a good human being wants to stall. After all, there's loads on his mind; the caverns of his brain a buzzing, full sensation after the day he's had. It was a lot to take in, especially the new information Lucy threw his way. Deciding what to do about these supposed murder cases is easy, he'll ask his temporary Chief to see what was up and if no answers came from that? Snooping would be his next action; which he was very,  _ very  _ good at. 

What Lucy said about crime-related things wasn't what was troubling him. The very thing pricking at his skin, slithering under him, was the fact Manny ( at one point at least ) had wanted to stop living. It's hard to stomach the term for it, to associate such a word with Manny; because even when he hated the man to a passion, he never wanted him to die. His stomach churns at the thought, a fear striking him like no other. 

Not to mention some sort of toxic celebrity who was giving his friend issues too. Considering everything, that fact was troublesome. Was it one of Manny's friends that he's met already? Where were these supposed letters that were written out, but never sent to him? He's only ever gotten one, right? Suddenly those words don't hold the confidence they used to, and his mind works faster than it should then. 

Feeling ill, Mat forces his mind to go blank; a difficult task that he never quite manages to do to its completion. Just turning off his mind was foreign to him, so he searches for a distraction. He supposes Manny and him are alike in that regard, and almost feels hypocritical for getting on his case earlier. That is, until his eyes land on the desk in the corner- staring down at the papers he sees with a shock that blossoms into amusement. Nothing of importance to the case, yet he's taken by the sight just as fiercely as he would be if it had been evidence.

"When did you start doing crossword puzzles?" Mat calls out, keeping his brown orbs glued on the paper covered in chicken scratch. 

Welcoming the distraction ( though for different reasons he's sure ) Manny is quick to shuffle up beside him. A lopsided grin tugs at his lips when he notices the embarrassed look on the producer's face; his pale skin rising in color even through the light foundation. 

"I've always liked them," Manny admits meekly, "But I only started doing them when I moved back."

Holding back a wince at the mention of the move, he lets out a hum, so he doesn't respond back in a snappy way. Learning when to trust his mouth has been his best weapon as of late. 

Taking that noise as interest, Manny settles into the chair and pulls himself close to the desk. Right up until the edge presses against his chest. He has half the mind to act offended that he wasn't offered the chair, until he realizes Manny might be sensitive and take it the wrong way. Even now, Nikita's sharp  _ 'i'm done'  _ behavior hangs in the air. He's not hurting, but he has to remind himself that Manny very well may be. 

A pencil is picked up delicately by Manny, who proceeds to twiddle it between his fingers as he looks the paper over. Mat watches the action idly, not noticing when the producer turns to stare up at him. It takes, "D-do you want to check my work?" for the detective to look down at the man himself. 

This makes him press his lips together, to fight back the large grin that's trying to stretch across his face. "Really? What is this, school?" When Manny pouts at him, he snickers, "Well, okay! Let's see here…"

Performing such a mundane act helps him relax, momentarily forgetting about the goal here as he leans over Manny's shoulder. A looking presence. He has to press the palm of his hand against the desk to feel comfortable with the pose, looking down his nose at the paper. If he feels his friend stiffen from how close Mat's face is to his, he doesn't comment on it nor think about it. Eventually, the other loosens up once more, remaining quiet and still as his work is observed.

Being a hardass was tempting, though he can't bring himself to be one when he's judging a crossword puzzle of all things. To be truthful, there's almost nothing to correct. Manny's good at these from what he glosses over- to the point any input from Mat isn't needed. 

For the sake of his friend, however, he does force himself to find something to nitpick. "You spelled 'consensus' wrong here," he taps his finger at a string of boxes. "It ends with s-u-s, not c-u-s. Luckily, this didn't throw any of your other work off-"

"You're squinting."

Mat startles, craning his neck up, "What?"

Catching Manny's eye makes his breath catch in his throat, seeing the warmth all over his face that's for the detective himself. Their faces are so close, he hadn't even noticed- their cheeks only a hair away from brushing. Both men glancing at each other from the corner of their eyes before he looks away, suddenly shy. 

"I said you're squinting," Manny chuckles, his voice nothing short of loving. "You look so focused."

Trying to will the blush in his cheeks to go away, Matthew keeps his gaze averted, "I was focused! And I always squint, so, uh, yeah?"

That's when he finally wills himself to look back at the smug looking man, analyzing his face before Mat looks smug himself. He lets his side bump into Manny's, the producer gasping at the touch. 

Boldly, the detective trails a finger down Manny's nose.  _ That  _ touch gets no reaction from the other male, who only goes still because of it. 

"Hm, did you know you have freckles there? I never noticed them before."

Now that feels like a victory he can feel good about, snorting to himself while Manny fumbles for a response. Ultimately, the man has nothing, which works an actual laugh out of Mat that the producer scowls at. Yet there's no malice in the expression, just playfulness. A childish, friendly thing that might make his heart soar; not like he'd ever admit it out loud. This closeness deepens between them this moment, with the two of them working together to finish all the puzzles. It's easy work that they plow through in minutes, leaving him to wish they could do more. 

It feels like how they used to be back then, from what Matthew can recall, anyway. Laughing and prodding at one another, tongues heavy from teasing; their sides pressed snugly together. The whole thing screams friendship ( because he ignores everything else it screams ) and he needs more of this. Everything of their muddled past melting away as they indulge themselves in the company, forgetting everything else as they talk to one another. Mat's practically touch starved for this, craving these causal touches and positive attention. 

But he knows this isn't a permanent thing. That they can't sit here forever and pretend. So when Manny pulls out another paper, already grinning, Matthew slips a hand back in his pocket.  _ Third one to the right,  _ he reminds himself- finding the record button and pressing play. After all, this had been a small break to lighten both of their moods before he finally got to work. Even though his heart races, Mat squeezing his hands into fists to hide his sweaty palms. Perhaps he should've opened the topic before jumping into the deep end, but he could remove any filler from the tape if need be. 

"Hey, can we.." He takes in a deep breath, "Talk?"

His tone is different and Manny picks up on it immediately, turning to look at him with widening eyes. "Why? Is something the matter?"

Seeing the clear fear in those green eyes makes the nervousness set in deeper with him. He tries to school his features as he nods slowly, before he decides to finally poke the bear. "I- I'm bothered, I guess. I've felt off since dinner." 

Purposely, he pauses in his words again. Letting the implications of that get absorbed by Manny, who seems to immediately tense back up. Any joy from earlier fading rapidly. 

"I wanted to check in with you, to make sure you don't blame yourself for her leaving. You're going through a lot, and I know what it's like to…" Mat trails off, hardly finding his voice, "She still loves you. She said all that out of love, Manny."

No mention of the man leaves his lips yet, only testing the waters to see if he can get the producer to be vulnerable to him without too much wordplay. 

There's a long stretch of silence as Manny stares up at him, eyes hooded. Mat refuses to break it, though, and instead keeps himself firmly silent. A static to get the producer to break it first because he knows how much the man loves to talk.

Manny sighs, which lets Mat know he won that small battle, "How would you know?"

Okay, so that wasn't what he wanted. Frustration builds up fast from his need to get this over quickly. Winning Manny's trust again would be a waste of time, not after he's already worked so hard to get it all day. There's trust between them, which he needs to utilize and use to get what he wants. As terrible as that sounds. 

"C'mon, don't play dumb! If you want me to really give an example, I will. But I'd rather address what's happening to you."

His hands find a place to rest on Manny's broad shoulders, the detective firmly squeezing them. Looking him in the eyes is the hardest thing Matthew does, searching for all the weakness, pain, and vulnerability in them. 

Hopefully hammering the final nail into the coffin, he adds, "You're hurting and I want to be here for you. Is that okay?"

Just like that, Manny's resolve drains from him slowly. Those words do it and Mat can guess why, from how he whispers them urgently and the fact he's telling the producer that he cares. Here, with Mat leaning over him, the other man seems so small. Looking like a scared child more than a grown man surrounded by his success. A sight for sore eyes- and not in a good way. 

Watching his arms bend up is one thing, though feeling large hands lay over Matthew's own is another.  _ Trust,  _ he understands that this is what that is for Manny. 

"This is off record, right?" Manny murmurs, his hands squeezing at the ones on his shoulders. 

"Yes," Mat lies, face scrunched up in pain that he hopes will pass as sincerity, "Yes, of course, Manny! Just between you and me."

A weak smile crosses Manny's face, "I like that. I…." Squeezing his eyes shut, the producer pushes the detective's hands off his shoulders. "I've been grieving. I lost something very important to me and I'm trying to keep it safe while it's away."

This bewilders Mat, eyes blinking from the weird wording. Was the other protecting something from him, still? That's not soothing in the slightest, he thinks as he bites the inside of his cheek. 

With the guilt eating him alive, for his sanity he decides to move this along. 

"Is that why you're in debt?" Obviously needing to add onto that, Matthew gulps, "With the man Nikita mentioned?"

Pure fear flashes through Manny's face first at the mention, something he mentally notes even when the producer looks sad again. Proving that Manny was still acting with him somewhat, a performance to veil the situation behind half truths. But that would be enough to get a lead and he forces his annoyance ( and hurt ) down to patiently wait for elaboration. Shuffling his feet awkwardly because none of this is sitting well with him. No matter how he views it, no matter how much he tells himself ' _ you're doing this for the greater good'  _ he can't feel better about it. 

"Yeah that, that relates to the missing item. I'm not in debt though, I make payments to him willingly and can stop at any time."

Tilting his head, he squints at Manny, "Are you paying him to look for the item?" 

A shrug. "More or less."

Was this all he was going to get? It's not a lot, enough to prove something down the line to the court if it goes anywhere- but he really doesn't have anything to go off of. Just that Manny has an item missing ( or that was a stand in for something else ) and that he was paying people to… do something with the item. 

Trying to connect the dots, he wonders if this item is just a coverup for Alex. After all, that detective was listed as missing in his eyes. Feeling satisfied with the theory he has brewing, Mat decides to give one last attempt to get more information on this strange man. 

"Sounds like the guy was running a business from the way Nikita worded it!" 

"Oh, definitely not." Manny shakes his head, smiling slightly, "He can't own a legal business given his record. Honestly? Tim helps me pay him off because he works  _ for  _ Tim! But he wasn't around to pay soooo…"

_ Tim.  _ Mat fights back a smile at this piece of information since it gave him a clear lead on where to fix his sights on. Deciding that this was enough information, for now, his finger slides over the stop button and pushes it; relieved with the knowledge that this was over. This coupled with the information Lucy gave him would be enough to keep him busy, along with the rest of the interviews he had to do with his partner down the line. Despite feeling like the biggest ass on Earth for doing this to Manny, he knows it's for the greater good. And on his watch, Manny wouldn't face any consequences anyway! So, this lie would never come back to affect his friend. 

_ At least I have a reason,  _ he thinks- not catching onto the bitterness creeping inside him again. A defense mechanism surely.  _ When Manny hurt me, it was for himself.  _

Shaking his head, the detective reaches out to tentatively pat at the other's shoulder once more. "Feel better?"

The producer nods slowly, clearly uncertain. 

"I know there's some things you aren't telling me," Mat is quick to save the situation, looking down at Manny with a strained smile, "And that's okay. Take all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere."

Faking this overly sweet nature doesn't feel like faking at all. Some part of him genuinely means this and he isn't sure if he's proud of it or not. The bitterness is still there, his jealousy and hurt, yet he thinks he's getting better at being kind with his words. Watching them have the intended effect as Manny's eyes turn thankful fast, lingering sparkles of admiration in them from Mat's understanding. 

What he's not expecting is for the producer to push himself off the chair ( towering over the detective once more ) and making his way back to his music booth. Arching a brow at this, Mat finds himself growing nervous again. Did Manny feel like something was off? 

His silent questions are answered when Manny waves his hand, as if dismissing him. "Listen, I'll be here for a while. And I know you had a rough day yourself, so I'll give you an out."

"An out?"

"Yeah! You can go back to the house." As if sensing that Mat was already opening his mouth to object, Manny affirms, "I won't mind! Besides, work will keep my mind off of things."

He knows working will help Manny, the man almost as much as a workaholic as the detective is, yet he doesn't want to leave him here alone. Clearly though, he's pushed his luck and Manny wanted to be alone after his brief company. Skin prickling with agitation, he tries not to take major offense to that. His questions had been probing which would make anyone want to regroup to themselves to collect their own thoughts! Though this isn't some random stranger, it's Manny who needs a moment away from his peering eyes and it stings. No matter how hard he pretends it doesn't. 

Fighting the producer on this topic would only make the other more uncomfortable, so he has no choice but to submit to his wishes. Breathing in deeply ( his chest sucking in ) he nods once, then twice, before finally finding his voice as he walks backwards towards the door. Trying to look friendly all the while, like he wasn't feeling his anger creeping back in. It's hypocritical to be mad. It's dumb to be upset with Manny needing to be alone. But he can't see that clearly when he's infatuated with the implications of why the producer wants to be alone. 

Edging right near the door, Mat selfishly double checks that this is what Manny wants. "You sure? I don't mind keeping you company."

"Seriously, it's fine. You go get some shut eye for me." 

Defeated, Matthew bows his head to hide the frown on his face; right before he finally bids his farewells and slips through the door. Closing it behind him before he's alone in the hall of a building he doesn't like. In an act of aggression, he bites down hard on his tongue as a form of release. Barely wincing at the pain it causes when he storms down the hallway, hands shoved into his pockets. The feelings fade as quickly as they appeared, soon soothed by his other on the fact he's gained so much information from this little trip. Maybe he was annoyed at Manny for pushing him away so suddenly, but the man did help him, whether he knew it or not. 

By the time he arrives in the lobby, it's evident that Lucy shuffled out some time while he was back there. No sign of her is anywhere in the room and when he tries to listen closely, there's not a peep of someone behind the scenes. Living with Manny would ensure time with Lucy again, so he wasn't too beat up over the fact she left so quickly. There's nothing in the building for him anymore then, which prompts him to finally leave the building. Eyes taking in the night sky and missing the stars that he knew were up there- though clouded from his view due to the thickness of LA air. 

A good minute passes as he stands there, taking in the breath of fresh air and the roaring sounds of cars still out at this hour. Brushing his thumb up and down the cassette player while relaying the information over and over in his head. The moment of peace is interrupted by his own yawn that pushes out of him, and he feels the tiredness Manny mentioned weighing down his bones to a heavy extent. He's wasted enough time lingering about ( some part of him hoping the producer would call him in again ) and he finally makes his way to his car. Running a hand over the hood of it as he reaches the driver's seat. 

The engine roars to life by the time he twists the key to start the car up, eyeing the record studio even when he starts pulling out of the parking lot. As if fixated on the sight despite his distaste of it. 

In a moment of delirious amusement, Mat decides maybe he'll treat himself tonight and keep Manny's bed warm while the producer's away. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for clicking on this story! I've been working on it constantly! Crimewave is a slowburn that explored the Manny/Mat dynamic in a friendship and then romantic way and uh, I got a playlist and Pinterest board. 
> 
> I'll be updating semi regularly ! So enjoy and leave comments if you wish! See ya next week ! ;)


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